The Love That Started it All
by Dawn Bently
Summary: The story of a forbidden romance that shook the Wizarding world for centries to come, though all that was remembered were the feuds that started becuase of it. Occurs ten years after the founding of Hogwarts, focusing on the children of the founders
1. Chapter 1

I finished this weeks ago and was absouletly stoked to post it, but decided I wanted a beta to read it first. After a week of endless searching, I found nobody. And it wasn't that people who were unfit had resonded, it was that nobody at all responded. So, if there is anybody looking to beta this, message me. Other than that, enjoy the story I cooked up out of a dream.

Please leave a review. I'm not sure about this story at all.

* * *

The Founding of Hogwarts had been ground shaking throughout the entire magical world. For the first time, parents had the opportunity to allow their magical children to learn magic from an outside party, while children were given a chance to evolve their magical abilities alongside those with similar morals and personalities, and even the same age.

It took Hogwarts all of ten years before it produced the witch and wizard who shook the ground just as violently as the school they attended, for that had been the year the four founders had children finishing their seven years in their parents' project school. It was well know for ages after that, however it seemed the only tales that survived were the ones depicting the dislike between Gryffindors and Slytherins, as well as the deep rooted loathing that existed between the pure-blood family Malfoy, and the accepting "blood-traitorous" family Potter.

The true legend that failed to be passed down through the ages was the one that had started the feud between rivaling families and the split between two houses in Hogwarts, but that legend had not been one of hatred, envy, or anger. No, the true story that shook the core of the magical world had been a desperate, forbidden romance.

**

Walking was not the word to describe how he moved. He strutted as he made his way through the castle his father and his three closest friends had created to harbor the most promising witches and wizards as they learned the ways of magic. His hair was not as bright of red as his father's but still shone true Gryffindor red when sunlight bounced off of his head. He did share, however, green eyes with his father, and even his younger siblings. Rowen Gryffindor was now in his seventh and final year at his father's newest, and so far, most successful project, Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

There were only about fifty students in their final year, but each year the number of first years had grown dramatically. Rowen, one of the first students, beside Slytherin's son, was the first wizard to go through the program from start to end, and as he strode into the main hall, such an accomplishment was apparent across the confident look upon his face.

He glanced over towards Hufflepuff's table to see her son, Caleb, looking over to Rowen with a big smile across his face. Rowen replied with a wave before he walked between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw table. He knew all four founders were watching him as he made his way towards the third oldest of all their children.

"Evelyn," He said her name sweetly as he took a seat among Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter and her friends. She turned to him with a sweet smile as she took a sip of her pumpkin juice. "I trust you won't find yourself too lost within your studies to spend a bit of time with me later, right?" He asked, and Evelyn only laughed as she reached out to mess up his once combed hair

"I'll try not to, Rowe." She replied, calling him but the nickname most girls used with him. He gave her a wink before he peered up at the four Co-Headmasters, each one with a different look on their faces. As he'd imagined, his father and Evelyn's mother had the most angry looks, though neither were necessarily angry.

"I'll wait for you," Rowen replied and Evelyn laughed once more, before he stood up and continued down the Gryffindor table, until he finally found a seat among a few of his classmates. He knew only when he was seated did the eyes of the head table move away from him.

Rowen started to fill his plate as he started conversations with those around him. He was nearly done eating, when he could hear footsteps entering the Great Hall.

"What I'd give for a marriage to her." Rowen heard one of his friends comment before he actually turned to see which beauty had entered. Rowen only shrugged at the sight of Slytherin's daughter as she strode into the Hall, beside her older brother, Logan. Logan was also in his seventh year, making himself and Rowen the oldest children of the founders.

Like their father, Logan and his sixth year sister, Jocelyn, had platinum blonde hair. Logan's hair fell to his icy blue eyes, while Jocelyn's fell to her waist, leaving a few shorter strands to frame her petite face and her cold blue eyes. Rowen knew most students at Hogwarts envied the oldest Slytherin children for their beauty and their ability to attract attention to themselves, but none of them knew the Slytherin children quite as well as Rowen did. As far as Rowen was concerned, their icy exteriors did quite well to represent their icy interiors, but that only applied to Jocelyn and Logan.

Slytherin had other children, though only one other had ever interested Rowen beyond the mandatory meetings and gift exchanges for holidays and birthdays. Her name was Victoria Slytherin, younger twin sister to Jocelyn, though they had nothing but their birthday in common. While Jocelyn stood tall with trademark Slytherin hair, Victoria was humble with long black hair that reached her waist. Jocelyn's eyes were icy blue, and Victoria's were a blue that matched the color of the sky on a perfect summer day. Jocelyn was cold to everyone who was remotely connected to any muggle-born wizards and Victoria simply wanted everyone to belong.

Though, Rowen never paid more attention to either Slytherin sister than necessary. He only shrugged at the entering Slytherins before he turned back to his meal. "She'd be hard to live with, trust me on that one." He commented as he peered up to his friends, but froze at the sight of his father standing on their other side of the table. "Father," He laughed and his friends held back their laughter as best they could around one of their headmasters.

"I trust you're not speaking ill against anybody." Godric Gryffindor stared down at Rowen with strong green eyes and Rowen sat up as he dropped his fork to his plate.

"Of course not," He replied. "We were simply discussing the future for Jocelyn." He said, but couldn't hold back the laughter behind his wide smile.

"I should expect to see you in my office as soon as you're done with your meal." His father told him and Rowen nodded.

"Yes, sir." Rowen replied before watching his exit the Hall along with the other three founders. As soon as the four were gone Rowen and his friends were roaring in laughter. Rowen finished eating a bit sooner than usual, and left the Great Hall. He made the walk through the now quiet castle until he came to the main office that the four headmasters shared. He had lifted his hand to knock upon the wooden door, but before his knuckles touched the wood, his father's voice called to him.

"Just come in, Rowen." Rowen entered the room to find all four headmasters staring at him as he stepped up the four steps to the main floor of the large office. He noticed the two women were seated at their desks towards the back of the room, while his father was leaning back against the front of his desk, leaving Slytherin standing in the center, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Is there something you needed from me?" Rowen asked as he peered around the office his sister had helped decorate years ago. Now that he glanced around, he realized it did have the touch of a then ten year old. He could even spot the different items Evelyn had added just for fun. Rowen had a feeling Slytherin never let his children add their own touch to the otherwise dreadful office.

"We're only waiting on Logan," Godric answered as he watched his son. Rowen nodded as he made his way around the front portion of the office. He looked up and down the bookcase until he spotted a title he'd heard many times before. With a smile on his face he lifted his hand and book floated out of his place, before falling into his hands.

"Evelyn's favorite." Rowena Ravenclaw commented as she watch Rowen nodded in agreement as he flipped through the pages.

"It looks as if it's been head hundreds of times." Rowen commented before he lifted the book up. It floated out of his hand and back to it place before Rowena responded.

"Yes, she's read it many times. It was the copy her father had given her." She explained and Rowen smiled at the significance of the copy. He'd always wondered why she never kept it in her dormitory, but Rowen thought better than to reveal he'd been in Evelyn's dormitory.

"Father," Logan Slytherin entered the office silently, taking even Godic by surprise. Rowen turned to greet Logan, but found his efforts useless. Rowen wasn't by any means under the impression that Logan was fond of him.

"Perfect," Godric took two strides forward to greet the eldest of their children. "We have a proposition for you both."

Logan and Rowen turned to him, but he didn't speak again until he was at Slytherin's side. Rowen had always wondered how they had gotten along so well despite their obvious differences, especially since those same differences were the ones that separated Logan from himself.

"We'd like to expand Hogwarts more. It's popularity is growing, especially to pure-blood families, and with the rate of growth for the first year class, it's becoming increasingly difficult for the four of us to have as many classes as we need."

"You want us to be teachers?" Rowen spoke slowly as he stared up at his father. "To the people we've known forever?"

"He was not finished talking," Logan pointed out and Rowen turned to him, but held back everything he'd wanted to say.

"That was exactly what we were purposing, actually," Rowena finally rose to her feet. Her hair swung behind her as she stepped forward with a kind of grace that Rowen found himself wishing most girls had. Naturally, he'd always seen it in Evelyn, but Evelyn was basically his younger sister, not the kind of girl he'd wanted to court.

"But you know that Evelyn, and Caleb and Victoria are all going to be here next year." Rowen spoke purposely leaving out Jocelyn out of wishful thinking that she wouldn't be returning next year, though his comment earned a glare from Logan.

"Of course they know that." Logan told him and Rowen turned to him once more. The two exchanged glares before Rowen turned back to his father, fighting the urge within himself.

"But how do you actually expect us to teach them? That's so… strange."

"We understand that teaching your peers would prove difficult, given your… relationships with many of them." Godric spoke with a heavy sigh before continuing, "but we had in mind first year classes. We have rooms for you both, and you would stay here, naturally, which would work perfectly otherwise, you both would find yourselves in empty Manors until the holidays."

"Well," Rowen looked around as his thoughts consumed him.

"I think it's a splendid idea." Logan commented, looking directly to his father. "Though what about marriage prospects?"

Rowen was glad he had turned away, otherwise the Slytherin pair would've seen the look on his face at the thought of some girl's future ruined after repeating vows to a Slytherin, or even the unfortunate tart chained to Jocelyn. Victoria, however, was the only Slytherin Rowen found worthy of a good fight to win over.

"Rowen?" Rowena called his name and he turned. "What do you think?"

"I'm not exactly sure." He responded truthfully. "I'd always…"

"Imagined a great adventure the moment your father let go of you?" Godric finished, and the two women chuckled behind him. "Unfortunately, I'd prefer if you didn't escape by the thread of your life the way I spent my prime years."

"Godric, the boy just wants a thrill," Slytherin put in with a laugh. "What he needs is a girl."

"I'm afraid of such a match with him."

"What if I picked her?" Rowen put in, rather liking the idea of an early marriage.

"For now, simply ponder the option we've provided you with." His father responded. "you're not ready for a wife, I'm afraid to tell you, my dear boy. You're still a boy, for instance."

"One you trust enough to teach children." Rowen countered, but was only met with a stare from his father. "I'll just wander back to my dormitory and think on the matter." He added with a smile on his face. He knew his father would not be upset with him not matter what, but it was a decision that still needed to be made.


	2. Chapter 2

Instead of heading towards the Gryffindor Tower, Rowen turned down a less used corridor that usually provided a spare classroom for any of the teachers, however it was most often deserted. He was simply strolling through the corridor, looking up at the different tapestries hanging from the stone wall, each one telling a story that one of the four founders had to tell. The ones outlined in red, he knew, were ones from his father's past while the blue ones represented Rowena's past, and so on with Hufflepuff and Slytherin with yellow and green outlines respectively.

It wasn't until he reached a rather large tapestry, four times the size of the others, did Rowen finally stopped. It took a moment before he recognized the tapestry as the one that showed the first official meeting of the four legendary wizards. The border was in four parts, each part a different color, starting with red and ending in green. Rowen smiled at the history it represented, before he walked to the side of the tapestry. He simply walked through the disguised stone wall to enter the secret room he'd known was there.

He stretched before he wished for a roaring fireplace and comfortable seat to relax in, and moments later they appeared in the large room, now decorated in red and gold. Taking a seat on the couch, he wished for a footstool, then moments later, he rested his heels on the one that appeared before him. He had just sunk into his chair and relaxed when he heard the sound of running just outside his little known haven.

Rowen let out a soft groan as he rose to his feet and walked to the entrance, now marked by a door. He opened it softly and peered out to find the most tolerable Slytherin standing in the otherwise empty corridor, as she desperately searched for an unlocked classroom with no luck. He was curious as to why she was frantically opening classroom doors, but the distant but nearing sound of their fathers speaking answered his question.

He lifted the revealing charm he knew the room had activated itself, he called to her. "Victoria," He whispered but loud enough to catch her attention. He watched as she whipped around, her black hair flying around her slim figure in a way he'd never seen before.

"Rowen," She gasped at his appearance, but ran to him as quickly as she could, forcing herself into his room. "What are you-" She started to speak but Rowen clasped a hand over her mouth as the revealing charm concealed them once more.

"Shh," he hushed in her ear as she backed into his muscular body as far as he would allow. "There's only a revealing charm here, not a silencing one," He warned as he mumbled into her ear. He hadn't noticed how close their bodies had been, until she nodded and moved away from him. As she ventured further into the room, she realized it was not a classroom as she had originally thought when she'd spotted him peaking out of the wooden door.

"I don't know, Godric," Salazar Slytherin spoke clearly as the two head masters came around the corner, mere moments as the Slytherin girl had disappeared into the Gyrffindor's haven. "She's too much like her mother. I'm afraid it will be too difficult to place her in a well respected pure-blood family."

Rowen was listening so intently to the conversation between the two headmasters, that he hadn't noticed Victoria sliding underneath his arm propping the door open to watch and listen as well. When he finally peered down at the short girl in front of him, he noticed the jet black color of her hair. Though he'd always known she had black hair, he'd never really noticed how dark.

"They're talking about me," Victoria's voice was so soft that Rowen hadn't heard her at first, but he caught on. "I'm not like them," She added, and Rowen definitely heard the disappointed tone of her voice.

"You can't know that." He tried to reassure her, but only moments before in the Great Hall he'd noticed the obvious difference between her and her siblings, and even her platinum blonde father.

"Well, why must she be placed within a pure-blood family? There are tons of half-blood families with the life style I'm sure she's accustomed to." Godric suggested but Salazar shook his head.

"That is precisely where we differ so, good friend." Salazar chuckled. "No, my daughter cannot marry a half-blood. Her children would destroy my pure-blood line. And any pure-blood family wouldn't want one such as her."

"There's nothing wrong with her, Salazar." Godric reminded him, "She'd lovely. In fact, I think it's rather safe to say that Rowen is rather taken with her."

Victoria turned and peered up at the boy in question but he continued to stare out, hoping she hadn't noticed the blush on his cheek, or that she'd mistaken the dark red color as his hair. Part of him knew, however, that he had no such luck.

"Well, I'm sure you've marriage prospects just falling in for Rowen." Salazar responded. "The joining of our lines might very well result in a historic change for our kind. Can you imagine how powerful that child would be? Even more so if he married Jocelyn."

"No," Godric shook his head. "I think Victoria is far more powerful that Jocelyn. She's just more reserved, Salazar. You don't give her nearly as much credit. No doubt the girl is her mother's daughter, but she's talented the way you are. I've heard her talking to the garden snakes once or twice when she was younger."

"Have you?" Salazar turned in surprise to Godric. "I've always wondered that about her," He continued to talk, but the two disappeared around the corner and their voices trailed off.

"Nothing I do is ever quite enough, it seems." Victoria commented with a heavy sigh as she ducked under Rowen's arms once more. She moved towards the couch and took a seat, as Rowen turned back to her. He started to speak, but noticed the walls had changed to red and gold to a combination of red, gold, green, and silver.

"Well, personally, I find you far more bearable than your siblings." Rowen commented.

"Yes, I heard that." Victoria laughed but Rowen had expected it to come up. Ignoring the rather embarrassing comment, Rowen took the seat beside Victoria. "I don't know what it is, Rowe, but he just doesn't treat me the same as he does them." She spoke as she turned to look at him.

"That's because you're not the same as them, Victoria." He replied.

"See? Like that. He always calls me Victoria, but he calls Jocelyn, Joce, and he calls all of my other siblings by the names they like, but never me."

"Is there another name you'd prefer? I've never heard you say you wanted a different name." He answered, feeling slightly guilty that he hadn't taken the time to learn her nicknames as he had the others.

"Well," Victoria started but stopped and looked into the fire. "Never mind."

"No, come on." Rowen moved closer to her, the way they had when they were younger, though he found himself realizing they were no longer younger. "What's the name? Perhaps that's why. You've never told him the other names."

"But I have." She responded as she looked to Rowen, her usually bright blue eyes, shining with an emotion he'd never seen in them before. "I always say I'd rather he'd call me-" She stopped once more, looking back to the fire again.

"Why can't you just tell me?" He asked as he reached out and pushed her face towards him. "It can't be any more embarrassing than my father gushing things he shouldn't know."

Victoria started laughing, but immediately tried to stop when she saw the blush returning to his cheeks. "Ok," She nodded and agreed. "I like Riah."

"See, that's not so hard, now is it, Riah?" He asked and watched as she smiled at him.

"Might I ask you something?" She spoke hesitantly, but he nodded for her to continue.

"Did you really like me, or was your father simply guessing?"

"Well," Rowen turned to the fire momentarily, but looked back to Victoria, only to find her watching him with an intensity he'd never known her for. "I suppose when we were a bit younger, I did have a bit of a liking for you, but that was I was about fifteen, and you were fourteen then. That was when the rift between Logan and I really started, but I'd always known you were different from them. Even when we were little children I'd known."

"Everybody's known. That's the problem, Rowe." She told him, completely focusing on the second subject he'd brought up instead of the answer she'd requested from him.

"I don't think it's a problem," Rowen replied. "You should take it as a compliment, in fact."

"But all my father ever says, is that Jocelyn has too many marriage prospects for him to keep up with, and that I have none."

"Well you heard them same as I did. Perhaps one day you'll marry me." Rowen spoke with a smile on his face, hoping his comment would make her outlook on the future more optimistic. The last blow to his ego that he needed, was knowing that such a marriage to himself would ruin one's future.

"I don't think they were serious about that, Rowen." She told him, using his first name, but he found he rather liked the way she said his name, no matter which form she used.

"You simply can't know such a thing, Riah." He pointed out, matter-of –factly. "You know, as well as I do, how power hungry you're father can be, and you even heard how excited he was at the idea of a child between our lines."

"Yes, but if I were in fact to marry you, and we had a child, Rowen, that child would have the name Gryffindor. My father, instead, would have Logan marry your sister, to achieve the same bloodline but with the Slytherin name, rather than the Gryffindor name. And according to that conversation, you're the only man who'd be open to marrying me."

"That's just not true," He responded with very little because he hadn't known how to respond to such a rant. "But it doesn't even matter right now, Riah. You're only sixteen. You have to finish school before you can get married anyway. I can't understand why you're so evolved with this. Is finding a husband really that important to you?"

"Well…" Victoria started but she stopped, and found herself smiling at Rowen. "No, I suppose not." She conceded into his reasoning.

"Good," He nodded at his triumph. "Now I can explain my haven!" He exclaimed as he motioned to the room around them, pulling a laugh from Victoria.

"Yes, what is this place?" She wondered as she looked around the room.

"Well, I suppose it should have a name, no?" Rowen pondered the thought before turning back to Victoria. "But it's a room I stumbled onto one day. Anything you wish for appears before you. I never actually showed this room to anybody before, so you're the first."

"I'm honored." She replied with a smile he was glad to see in place of the disappointed look she'd had before.

"Why were you out here anyway?' He asked, remembering why he'd let her in to begin with. "It's got to be well past curfew."

"I sort of argued with Jocelyn at diner." She responded. Rowen half expected her to turn back to the fire, but she held his gaze. "I just wanted some air, and I came out here, but then my father was coming and I wouldn't want to be in trouble for sneaking about the castle after curfew, but it seems all the classrooms in this part of the castle are locked when not in use."

"Luckily, my room doesn't have a door." Rowen put in and Victoria laughed before she realized the door had transformed into stone bricks, matching the rest of the room as well as the castle walls.

"How often do you come here?" Victoria asked.

"Whenever I can. I find myself spending nights here most of the time. It's much more relaxing here than in the tower." He explained.

"Might I use it from time to time?" She inquired as she peered at him, her eyes shining the way they had in his memories.

"Of course." He answered with a smile. "Anytime you'd like, Riah."


	3. Chapter 3

Rowen was walking the halls quietly, only watching as his classmates enjoyed their day away from classes. He'd just come from the library where he'd chatted with Evelyn until the librarian came to shove him out of the door for being too loud. He was considering joining his friends on his broom, but he caught sight of long black hair near the edge of the lake, and decided upon joining Victoria on the grass before winter came and covered everything in snow.

"Might I join you?" Rowen asked, as he stood behind Victoria. She turned back to him and smiled before she waved for him to sit beside her. He took the seat beside her, and watched as she spread her legs out instead of holding them as she was just moments before.

"I would've thought you'd be up on a broom somewhere," Victoria laughed as she looked to Rowen, who shrugged.

"I thought about it."

"They why'd you come over here?"

"I thought talking to you would be much more entertaining." He answered. Victoria smiled before she turned away to look into the lake. Had her skin been darker instead of pale, he might have missed the faint blush on her cheeks, but he noticed it perfectly as she looked away from him. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing much." She answered truthfully. "Lately I've been working on a potion, but I need to change something, I just haven't figured out what yet."

"You're making your own potion?" he asked, surprised at what she'd responded with.

"Well, no. Not exactly. It was a recipe I'd found among my mother's things. It works slightly, I was just fixing it." She explained.

"You should take it to Eve." Rowen suggested. "She'll know exactly what your mother missed."

"I thought about it, but I hardly talk to her." Victoria shrugged. "I can't just walk up to somebody and tell them about some potion I'm trying to make."

"You told me."

"I trust you." She responded, before she'd fully thought her answer through.

"Do you?" Rowen narrowed his eyes at her, watching as the blush on her cheeks grew. "Well, in that case, you wouldn't mind owling me a copy of these instructions you found among your mother's things, right?"

"I…" She started but trailed off. She took in a deep breath and sighed before she forced herself to face Rowen once again. "I suppose not, though I don't know what you think you can do with it. I'm far more talented in potions that you, and I've been working on it for years."

"Have a little faith as well as trust." He responded, leaving Victoria with nothing to say as she stared at him. He smiled at her before he gave her the wink he often gave to Evelyn, though part of him felt it had meant something more than the joke of a fake romance he had with Evelyn. He started his walk back towards the castle without even noticing that Victoria had turned to watch him walk away, wishing he'd stayed for a moment longer.

**

Rowen was laying in his bed in is dormitory, but only because he had been expecting an owl from Victoria all day. His arms were crossed behind his head, forming a second pillow for him to rest back on. He could faintly hear the chatter of his roommates, though he paid little attention to them. In fact, the only sound that pulled him from his daze was the sound of wings fluttering just outside the window.

He didn't notice that one of his roommates had moved to let the owl in, and in his rush to get Victoria's letter, he'd accidently knocked over the other boy. He opened the window, listening to the boys poke fun at him, including several guesses as to who the girl sending the letter was.

"You'll never guess, so you might as well stop trying." Rowen told them as he sat back down on his bed. "Besides, it's not what you think. I don't like her. She's just a friend and she needs help with something." Rowen hadn't heard their voiced doubts because he'd broken the wax seal and pulled the letter from the envelope, but not before admiring the scripted way she'd written his name.

Rowen moved back on his bed to lean against the head board, as he unfolded the letter. He paused for a moment when he realized it faintly smelled the way her hair had only a few nights ago when she'd been pressed against him during her desperate search for a hiding place. Focusing his thoughts once more, he looked down at the handwritten letter, once again loving the way she wrote his name at the top of the page.

Rowen,

I rewrote the original instructions I'd found in my mother's trunk, and also copied a set of instructions with my changes. I don't know what you're expecting to do with this, but a very charming boy once told me to have as much faith in him as did trust. Also, you should know the intent of the potion was to enhance one's clarity. If you make the potion according to my instructions, it works momentarily, however the effect wears off rather quickly. I'd tell you good luck, however I hadn't asked what you were planning on doing with this potion. Give me all the details when you're finished.

Love, Riah

Rowen found himself reading the letter a second time, but only until the point when she referred to him as charming, then started all over again. With a smile he hadn't realized he was wearing, he folded the letter again and looked into the envelope to see two more pieces of spare paper, each one with slightly differing instructions for the same potion.

"So you don't like her?" One of his roommates pulled him from his thoughts and he peered up to see all four of his roommates staring at him while he'd beamed at the letter he claimed was from a friend.

"No," Rowen replied with narrowing eyes. "I don't but I do suggest that you all get some sort of entertainment, or are your lives so lacking of excitement that watching me read a letter is fascinating?"

**

"Eve," Rowen called for her as he took the seat beside her in the library, purposely knocking the book from her hands as he reached up. "Since you're not busy," He started but paused when she started laughing. When the laughter subsided and her attention was focused on him he continued. "I was wondering if you could take a look at this potion as see what you can make out of it. The instructions are a little off so the end result doesn't last quite as long as desired."

"Let me see," She replied as she held out her hand.

"Ok, here's the original." He told her as he handed her the spare piece of parchment that Victoria had sent to him. "But my friend made some alterations and this is her set of instructions." He explained as he handed her the second piece.

Evelyn read through them before she looked up at Rowen. "She's trying to… enhance visibility?"

"Clarity, was what she said." He responded and Evelyn nodded.

"I'll see what I can do." She told him. "Come back… maybe tomorrow, maybe I'll have a potion for you."

"Thank you," Rowen smiled at her. "Have I ever told you that you're my favorite?"

"Quite often, in fact every time I help you win over some girl."

"No, I'm not winning over a girl." He responded in as serious a voice as he could muster. "She's just a friend, this one, I swear."

"She may be now." Evelyn commented, but Rowen groaned and left instead of defending his feelings once more.

**

Victoria was seated on a large couch before the fire inside of Rowen's room that he'd said she could sue when she wished. Instead of sitting through another meal listening to her sister, she'd escaped to the room, and realized exactly why he'd referred to it as his personal haven. There was absolutely nobody around, and all that was there were her own thoughts. She'd wished for a stack of her favorite books, and immediately found herself lost within them.

She'd gotten through nearly half of the first when she'd found it rather difficult to leave to head back towards the Slytherin Tower. Instead, she'd wished for a bed and it appeared behind her. Rather enjoying the magical properties of Rowen's Haven, she laid back on the bed and let herself relax. She felt herself slowly starting to drift into sleep, but the sound of somebody entering brought her back to consciousness.

"Oh, sorry." Rowen told her as he stood in the door way. "I didn't know you were here."

"Where else would I be?" She replied as she sat up. "I thought about spending the night here."

"I do it all the time." He responded. "I'll just leave you to-"

"Wait." She called for him and he turned back to her, taking a few more steps into the room. "You never said what you did with that potion."

"No," He agreed as he smiled at her for the first time since he'd entered the room. "Instead, I told you to have a little faith in me."

"And I do, Rowen." She replied. "But that's doesn't make me any less curious."

"Well you're just going to have to wait a bit." He responded as he lifted the book off the small table near the chair. He neared the bed and stood at the edge. When he looked up at her from the book, he noticed she'd moved closer to him and was sitting back on her heels with her legs bent in front of her.

"What if I can't wait?"

"Then you learn." He replied with a smile. She only smiled back at him as she stared into his eyes.

"I had a dream last night." She spoke softly before she turned down. "But I don't know if I should tell you."

"You can tell me anything." He responded. "I've never told a secret before."

"I know," She nodded in agreement as she looked up at him again. "It's not that I don't trust you not to tell anybody, it's just what the actual dream was."

"It can't be that bad."

"It's not bad." She told him. "Never mind, Rowe."

"No, you brought it up, now." He responded as he reached out to grab her ankle when she tried to crawl back to the top of the bed. With one pull, he had her sitting off the edge of the bed staring up at him with as much dislike as she could manage, but she only looked humorous to him. Even as she attempted to glare at him, she knew it would never work. She cared for him far too much to even pretend otherwise.

"Fine," She sighed as he took the seat beside her. She was vaguely aware they were seated on a bed, but she continued with the story all the same. "I was older and I was in a house."

"Ok," He nodded, following along.

"And then this little boy came running up to me, and he called me 'mummy' and I picked him up and held him on my hip." She continued as she looked away from Rowen. "He had dark red hair, but his eyes were blue. And he was so cute." She described her son in her dream, still refusing to lock eyes with Rowen beside her.

"And then you came in from the door." She continued, but paused when she felt the bed shift when he moved. She expected him to move further away as the story progressed, but she felt their legs touching after he'd moved closer to her. "And you took him from my arms, set him down and told him to run along and play."

"Ok," She heard Rowen speak soft from beside her, but she swallowed at the feel of his hot breath tickling her ear.

"And then you came closer to me, and you wrapped your arms around me waste. You said 'Riah darling, your husband has come home for you,' and you kissed me. Your arms were around me but you held me tighter at the end." She finished the story without once looking up to Rowen, afraid of the look that could be on his face after hearing the dream she slowly found herself wanting more and more.

"And that was it?" He asked.

"Yes." She lied, not ever wanting to tell him how the dream ended, though the picture was vivid in her mind. It took nearly everything within her to stop picturing him as he held her close, his lips pouring passionate love into a kiss until he lad her pinned against a wall, his body pressed completely against hers, both desperate to be one with the other.

When she finally pushed the image to the back of her mind, she realized they been sitting, touching, in complete silence as she tried to slow her heartbeat. "Rowe?"

"Yes?" He whispered back to her.

"You're quiet."

"So are you."

"You're never quiet."

"You're always quiet."

Victoria let out a dry laugh, her heart still racing from the mere thought of a single kiss. Her heart beat only quickened against her will she felt his hand on her back.

"You're heart is beating so fast." He whispered in her ear once again. "Are you nervous, Riah?"

Victoria shut her eyes as she took in the feeling of his hand just on her back, moving slowly up and down as he rubbed her back. She'd never so much as held a boy's hand and the contact, especially with him, was driving her to the edge, but hearing him call her by the nickname only intensified the feeling.

She knew she had to respond to him, but no matter what she did, she couldn't find words. Even if she had found the right words, she wasn't even sure she was capable of speaking.

"You shouldn't be nervous," he spoke again, his breath now on her neck. "It's only me. I don't make you nervous do I?"

"No," She managed to whisper, though she knew it sounded forced.

"I have a feeling you lied to me, Riah." He told her softly as he took his hand from her back.

"About?"

"Your dream." He responded. "I think there was just a bit more than you said."

"What makes you think that?"

"You're a terrible liar, for one." He answered with a laugh. He heard her draw in a deep breath, her voice shaking slightly. "But I wish you weren't tense around me." He added as he moved away from her but as soon as he had tried, Victoria looked up at him and he froze. She hadn't realized that they'd had nearly a whole conversation without her looking at him once but now that her eyes held his gaze, she wanted him near her once more.

"I'm not tense, Rowe." She told him softly, and he heard her voice shake when she spoke. She drew in another deep breath as the two stared at one another in complete silence.

"Can you tell me the rest of the dream?" He asked softly as he came closer to her again. This time, however, she had been looking him in the eye and he saw how excited she had become when he neared her, even mere inches.

"No," She shook her head, still looking him in the eye. "I can't."

"Ok," He nodded, accepted it. While he wanted to know what she wouldn't tell him, he would never make her do anything she was not comfortable with.


	4. Chapter 4

"What's the good word, Evelyn, daring?" Rowen announced as he walked into Rowena's classroom where he was instructed to meet Evelyn with her new and improved potion.

"Rowen," Rowena peered up at him and he laughed as he nodded to her.

"I don't actually mean that," He told Rowena as he neared her desk and stood before her. "Eve told me to meet her here. I asked her for a little favor." He explained but Rowena didn't respond. She was grading papers, but Rowen didn't mind. He simply looked around the classroom as he waited for Evelyn to arrive.

"You should be careful with the heart of a girl, Rowen." Rowena spoke when he had turned away from her. He turned back to her t see she was peering up at him. She slowly got to her feet and lead him into her office located just behind her classroom.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rowen replied, though he knew in the back of his mind exactly what she was referring to.

"Rowen," Rowena turned back to him as she poured herself a cup of tea. She offered some to Rowen but he declined. After she took a sip she spoke again. "Something tells me you know exactly what I'm talking about. No, you aren't exactly the string of broken hearts that Logan is," She started, referring to Logan Slytherin, Victoria's older brother, "but you have your string of girls just as he does."

"At least you trust me with Evelyn. I wouldn't trust Logan around her at all." Rowen put in, but he had a feeling witty remarks and light humor wasn't going t get him out of the conversation he didn't want to have.

"As true as that may be," She responded. "You're chasing a girl you'll never have, my dear." She warned him with a straight face and Rowen only stared back at her. "And you're making her want something she'll never have."

"I don't know who you're talking about." Rowen replied, his voice no longer the chipper voice it'd been moments before.

"You know very well, Rowen." She told him as she took a seat behind her desk. "I trust your father told you how you got your name."

"I'm named after you." He responded.

"I saved your mother when she was pregnant with you." Rowena added. "And your father named you for me. I've always loved you Rowen. You're the son I never had, and your Evelyn's brother, as far as I'm concerned, and I'd hate to see you hurt in the end because you wanted somebody that could never be yours."

"But you don't know that." He replied as he sat down across from her, admitting for the first time what Victoria was to him. "We heard our fathers talking once about us. They even suggested a marriage."

"No, Rowen. Salazar would never let the Slytherin line turn into the Gryffindor line. He would never let his daughter's children have your name. He's too proud, he's too power hungry. As powerful as those children would be, they would be useless to him if their names were Gryffindor." Rowena told him everything Victoria had said, though for some reason he believed it when Rowena told him.

"But he doesn't treat her the same as Jocelyn or Logan. She's not as prized to him, as tragic as it may be."

"No, he doesn't, Rowen, you're right. You're perfectly right, and that's because Victoria is her mother's daughter. He doesn't see himself in her the way he see himself in Jocelyn or Logan. But so long as her name is Slytherin, it doesn't matter. Love her as you may, Rowen, but you'll never have her, and I hate to be the one to tell you. I'm afraid your father simply doesn't have the heart to save you from yourself." She told him, her voice slowly becoming softer and softer and Rowen's face become more and more defeated.

"Does anybody get to choose their future?" Rowen asked softly as he looked up at Rowena.

"Yes, but it takes more than anything you can imagine, Rowen." She told him. "One day, you should have your father talk to Victoria about her mother. Perhaps that might sway her to what I know you're thinking."

"You can't know what I'm thinking," Rowen smiled at her and she smiled back.

"You may have all the Gryffindor courage that it takes, but she needs passion and courage as well, Rowen."

"So, you think there's a chance."

"Rowen, there's always a chance, if you can bear the pain that comes before the happiness you seek."

"Mother!" Evelyn's voice called out from the front classroom. Rowen turned towards the door before he looked back to Rowena.

"Go ahead." She told him. He nodded before he rose to his feet. She expected him to go towards the door, but he came around her desk and put his arms around her shoulders from behind. "Rowen," She laughed as she reached up to rub his muscular arm with one hand.

"You were always my favorite." He told her and she laughed again.

"Run along, Rowen." She told him and he released her from the embrace. He started towards the door but stopped when she spoke again. "And stop using that line on my daughter, Rowen."

"No promises," Rowen replied laughing as he left the office and shut the door behind him. He walked down the stairs to meet Evelyn who was watching him as he exited her mother's office.

"Did she scold you for whatever you said when you came in?" Evelyn laughed as Rowen neared her.

"Perhaps," He responded, though his attention was on the small vile she held in her hand. "How did my little potions master like the challenge?" He changed the subject, bringing a smile to her face.

"It was rather simple, really." She answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "Here is the final potion I made," She said as she reached out and handed him the vile. Rowen held the vile in his hand, curling his fingers over the rounded glass, before he looked up at her again. "And this is the final set of instructions I came up with." She added, handing him a small piece of parchment.

"Have I ever told you that you're my favorite?" He asked and Evelyn laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Rowen," Rowena's voice called from the top of the stairs that lead into her office. "Don't forget what I told you."

"I won't." Rowen promised as he looked up at her. He nodded to her and she smiled back before Rowen put a brotherly kiss on Evelyn's cheek. "Thank you." He told her before he left the classroom.

He was heading towards the Gryffindor tower but stopped when he saw Victoria at the edge of the lake, much like the way he'd found her before. He slipped the vile into the inside pocket of his robes before sliding the piece of parchment into the pocket as well. When he reached her, everything was perfectly hidden from her eyes.

"Hello, Rowe." She smiled up at him until he took a seat beside her. He smiled back before he turned out to the lake, watching as the sun reflected off of the clear surface.

"Your birthday is coming," he commented.

"How did you know?" She asked, turning to him. He turned back to her and laughed.

"How could I not know?" He replied and she laughed. "We were only forced to every birthday for about ten different kids when we were younger. Did you think that for some reason the day escaped me? Do you not remember mine, Riah?"

"Of course I remember what day it is, Rowe." She replied with an amused smile. "I suppose I figured you only went because you were forced. I never thought you really paid attention."

"I always paid attention."

"You're more caring than people give you credit for, you know." Victoria told him with a slight smile on her lips. Rowen stared back at her, watching as her hair lightened slightly when the sunlight bounced from it. Though he'd spent some quality time with the opposite sex, he'd never stared at a girl the way he was staring at Victoria.

"What would you like for your birthday, Riah?" He asked her, but he regretted it because she turned away to look at the lake.

"Nothing, really." She answered.

"Riah, that's not very fair. How am I supposed to get you something if there's nothing you'd like to have?"

"What's not fair is that you're insisting that you need to get me something, when I did not get you something for your birthday."

"You can get me something next year if it'll make you feel better." He offered but Victoria only sighed. "Come on, Riah. It's your birthday and you deserve something. Even a little something."

"There's nothing." She insisted, and Rowen groaned as he laid back on the grass.

"Fine," He conceded and she smiled down at him. "I'll just have to guess."

"Rowen," She laughed as she turned to face him. Her legs were crossed and she was facing him as he laid down on the grass. They simply looked at one another, both oblivious as to how they appeared to any onlookers who might have spotted them at the edge of the lake. "You have grass in your hair now." She told him, reaching out to pull the blade of grass from his dark red hair.

"Thank you," he replied and she simply nodded with a slight smile on her face. "You do realize I'm going to get you something no matter what you say, so you might as well just tell me to avoid receiving something you don't like."

"In that case," She responded, laughing again. "I supposed I'd rather have something that you gave me, instead of something that I want."

"Fair enough," Rowen accepted her terms as he sat up, but still leaned back against his arms. She was still sitting to the side of him facing her. As they found themselves in another locked gaze, they did not realize a third party was making their way towards them.

"Victoria," A male voice caught her attention, leaving Rowen feeling only slightly rejected, but only because it wasn't Logan's voice. As the two turned and peered up, they found themselves looking up at a rather angry looking Malfoy boy. Just from the look on his face beneath his blonde locks, Rowen could see the jealousy he was trying to hide; jealousy Rowen knew he'd experience should he ever find Victoria with another boy, especially in the manner the Malfoy boy had found them in.

"Darius," Victoria looked up at him briefly before she glanced to Rowen, who simply peered out at the lake while the two Slytherins interacted, silently hoping it wouldn't last longer than a mere moment. "Is there something you need?"

Rowen tried not to listen, but the sweet melodic sound of her voice only drew him into the conversation even more. He focused on a rock in the center of the lake, but no matter what he did, he knew he'd hear every last word spoken between Victoria and the Malfoy boy.

"Well, I know every year the families of the founders have a rather large Christmas Ball." Darius spoke about the tradition that all four family participated in every year. That particular year, the Ball was to take place in the Slytherin manor.

"Yes, it's in only a month and a few weeks time." Victoria told him the truth whereas Rowen would've lied and told him it was canceled so long as he had hopes of attending, especially with Victoria.

"I was merely curious if perhaps I could attend with you," He said the words Rowen had been expecting. He must've groaned aloud, because Victoria turned towards him. He knew she would've noticed how uncomfortable he'd suddenly become, especially with another boy, still a child in his sixteen years, wanting to be in her company more that Rowen would've been comfortable with.

"I don't know, Darius." She responded. "I'll think about it."

"Of course." He replied before he made his exit, not once acknowledging the Gryffindor boy who'd had her attention first.

"Sorry, Rowe," Victoria apologized as she turned back to him, and he gave up on trying to hide his true emotions. "I had no idea that was going to happen." She laughed.

"How could it not?" he replied. "You've certainly changed over the last year. So has your sister."

"Yes, that may be, but Jocelyn has had attention for much longer than I."

"Maybe," Rowen sat up straight, leaning towards her slightly, only mere inches from how close they'd been the night before, however this time in a very public manner. "But you have more respectable attention and company."

"Such as yourself, I'm assuming." Victoria laughed and Rowen smiled at how something as simply as a smile or a laugh made her even more desirable.

"Well, if that's the first thing that comes to your mind, I certainly won't object." Rowen laughed, and Victoria smiled even more at him and his witty remarks. When the laughter died out, Rowen spoke with more seriousness. "I only mean the company your sister keeps usually only consists of the boys who only want a few things from her, before they move on to their next goal. You, however, tend to attract the attention of those who want a lot more than a few moments and a few nights."

"And in which of those categories might you fall under?" She replied, wishing they were alone in his haven where he could sit as close as he wanted and she could show exactly how nervous she was at hearing his answer.

"I should like to think you already know that answer." Rowen answer, and Victoria nodded in response. "Come, I want to show you something." He changed the subject as he rose to his feet and took one step back to reach down in order to help her to her feet. She'd gotten only half way off the ground when Rowen faintly heard the sound of a chanted spell. He hadn't bothered to turn because before he had time to react, he watched Victoria fly back into the icy waters of the lake, the green smoke of the spell disappearing as she sunk deeper into the water.

Rowen faintly heard the commotion growing around them, but he'd dived into the waters voluntarily, swimming downward to find Victoria's hand. He felt his body stinging from the cold, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. As he continued, swimming faster and faster, his thinking became more and more blurry, the cold only becoming worse and intensifying the pins and needles feeling throughout his body.

After what he thought was hours, he found a small, sinking hand reached up and took hold. With whatever little strength was left he pulled up until he held Victoria's small frame in his arms, surprised to find her eyes open and staring into his eyes. The cold had affected each of them, but somehow Rowen found enough clear space in his mind to comprehend the kiss he'd placed on her lips. He momentarily stopped kicking and simply kissed her lips, relieved to feel movement of her icy lips.

As soon as the kiss had started, it ended and he kicked up once again, with what very little strength was left in his nearly frozen body. He kicked and kicked, feeling her body struggle with his as she kicked as well, but the cause felt hopeless to both. It wasn't until they caught sight of the sun's rays bouncing off the water's surface did Rowen finally find enough strength within him to pull her to the top, only to be greeted by his father at the water's edge.


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as their heads cleared the water, both started coughing, unaware that Godric had lifted them from the water and set them on the grass behind him. They touched down on the ground, Rowen's arms still around Victoria, until she rolled away to cough up the rest of the water in her lungs. Rowen did the same until the shivering two peered up at Godric.

"Is there any good reason for your swim in the lake?" He asked, slightly outraged at their near death experience, though he was only looking down at Rowen.

"Yes!" Rowen replied, though he was shivering so much his voice sounded broken. "A spell. Riah."

"I have no idea what you're trying to say." Godric told him sharply as Rowen and Helga Hufflepuff came running down, each with blankets. Helga wrapped Victoria while Rowena went to Rowen.

"Come on. We'll take you to the hospital wing." Rowena told them as she lifted them up into the air with a twist of her wrist.

"I still cannot possibly imagine what possessed you to go diving in the lake, and to take her with you!" Godric thundered behind the two witches and the shivering students floating in mid air.

"Spell." Rowen groaned back as he hugged the blanket tighter to his body.

"I don't know what a spell has to do with this." Godric replied and Rowen groaned angrily.

"Godric, I highly doubt they went for an afternoon swim in the lake, so just wait until they can talk to moan at them." Rowena snapped at the prideful Gryffindor in a way that only she could. It was then that Rowen remember why exactly he'd always cared for Ravenclaws for more than Hufflepuffs or Slytherins, though in the last few days he'd found his favor to Slytherins increasing dramatically.

As soon as they were carried into the hospital wing, Rowena slowly set them down on two beds, separated by only a curtain. Hufflepuff left to retrieve the nurse, leaving Godric staring down at his son, conflicted between anger and pity for the shivering boy as well as the girl he obviously had quite a soft spot for.

"My dears," The nurse came out from the backroom in a rush, Hufflepuff appearing moments later. She quickly came to their bed sides, pushing the curtain back so she could easily move between the two. Rowena simply watched the two before she stepped back to Godric's side and the two stared upon the boy they adored, and the girl they knew would be his end. After he watched Rowen turn to look over at Victoria, Godric turned and exited the hospital wing in search of her father.

It took him only a few minutes to reach Salazar's classroom, which he entered without knocking, only to find himself interrupting a first year class. "Godric," Salazar smiled at his old friend. "What's the matter? You look stricken with grief."

"Your daughter is in the hospital wing with my overly confident son."

"Jocelyn," Salazar's words sounded forced though his immediate terror for his daughter.

"No, Victoria." Godric replied, only slightly confused at his response. Before continuing, Godric crossed the classroom and stopped at Salazar's side. "Victoria and Rowen somehow found themselves going for a swim in the lake." He whispered so only Salazar could hear, but Godric couldn't help but notice Salazar's instant relief that Victoria had been the one in the hospital wing, and not his beloved Jocelyn.

"Is she awake?"

"I don't know. I think so." Godric answered.

"Tell her I'll be there as soon as I can." Salazar said with a nod. Godric turned to Salazar and stared at him until he finally spoke.

"You can dismiss your class for now, Salazar. Rowena can step in if need be."

"No," Salazar shook his head. "I'll be there as soon as there is an opening in my schedule."

"Very well," Godric spoke softly before he left the classroom, surprised at one of his oldest friends, and how he responded to the news. While Godric knew he was outraged at the idea, he was mostly fearful at his son's safety, as well as the safety of Victoria, knowing all too well her safety affected Rowen's overall mood.

He made his way back to the hospital wing to find Rowena standing in the same spot he'd left her in, knowing she cared for Rowen as much as he did. He came back to her side, and looked upon the two students before him. Victoria's hair was being combed back by the nurse so the long strands were no longer sticking to her skin. Both were dressed in dry clothes, and had a blanket draped around their shoulders. Each clutched a mug in their shaking hands, probably filled with Helga's personal recipe for instant warmth.

"Now would you like to explain?" Godric asked looking first at Rowen, then to Victoria.

"She was hit by a spell." Rowena replied. "Knocked her back into the water, and your son found the need to risk his life as well."

"You'd have been angry no matter what I did." Rowen responded, glancing to Victoria only for a moment, but he had a feeling he wasn't the only one who noticed the smile on her lips.

"She has marks on her stomach where the spell hit, Headmaster." The nurse spoke from behind Victoria. "I healed them easily enough, but it was from an older student, no doubt. At least fifth year."

"Sixth," Rowen chimed in, turning all heads toward him. "To be exact." He added.

"You saw who it was?" Godric asked.

"Well… Not exactly, but it was for me. I stood up just before it hit, so It had to have been casted while I was still sitting. And I remember clearly upsetting a certain jealous Slytherin only moments before."

"It wasn't him, Rowen." Victoria protested. Rowen turned towards her, just as Rowena and Godric. "He's not as horrible as you wish he was."

"You can't know that."

"Well neither can you!" Victoria replied and Rowen only stared at her stubbornly refusing to give up what he thought was true. "I'm telling you, Darius is harmless."

"Malfoy is anything but harmless."

"You can at least call him by his first name!"

"You can accept that he's a prick!"

"Enough," Godric sighed. "We'll never know who it was with you two fighting with each other. Either you saw the person, or not, Rowen."

"No."

"Alright," Rowena spoke this time, but with a much softer voice than Godric had. "We will look into it, and you two just rest up." She said as she moved to Rowen's bed side. "I'll have your robes cleaned, dried and sent to your dormitories." She said as she reached for the soaking robe by Rowen's bedside.

"No!' Rowen reached out and Rowena stared down at him, confused.

"Don't worry. You won't lose your precious possession, my dear." She told him with a flash in her eyes. "Just rest." She added before moving to Victoria's bedside to retrieve her robes as well. "I'll be back to check on you both at suppertime. We'll have meals sent."

"She's like a mother." Victoria commented after Rowena had left the hospital wing.

"She's always like that." Rowen shrugged, before taking a sip of the drink Helga had prepared for them before she left shortly after his father had.

"It's rather sweet." Victoria said before sipping her drink as well.

Godric only took a step back, amazed at how casually they acted around one another, when he knew the relationship growing between them was far from causal and possibly bordering on something beyond romantic. With a shake of his head he addressed the nurse, who looked up from Victoria's long black hair.

"Owl me as soon as they're better."

"Of course, Headmaster." She nodded and Godric exited the hospital wing.

**

Rowen was laying in his bed, stretching as he tried to wind down from that day's events. After he'd been released from the nurse's care, he'd made his way back to the Gryffindor tower to find his robes folded neatly on his bed, but not a sign of his potion anywhere. He worried about it's location, but forced himself to relax as he reminded himself that he had to trust Rowena with the matter.

Just as he found himself sinking into his bed, he heard the flutter of wings outside the window. He didn't bother to move, knowing one of his roommates would move to let the bird in. Since he hadn't been expecting anything, Rowen sat up surprised when the bird dropped a package on his lap, then sat on his outstretched arm.

"That's Professor Ravenclaw's owl." One of his roommates commented and Rowen agreed as he petted the friendly bird.

"Yeah," Rowen spoke but he was looking down at the bird. "And I suppose Rowena told you not to leave until you got a treat, right?" He asked and the owl made a noise as if on cue to answer his question. "Naturally," Rowen nodded as he reached over to pull a bag of treats for the owl. He fed the owl a few treats before it flew out the window.

"Why'd she send you a package?" One of his other roommates asked, but Rowen was unwrapping the box and didn't peer up to look who was speaking.

"I don't know," He lied as he smiled down at the perfect condition of the potion vile he was glad survived the swim in the lake. Beside the vile he pulled a small letter addressed to him. He opened the envelop and pulled the letter out before unfolding it to read what she'd written.

Rowen,

I knew this and to do with whatever you needed Evelyn for that day, so I asked her what it was. She rewrote the instructions because the parchment was too water damaged to salvage after your afternoon swim. Also, try not to be upset with your father. He wants the best for you. Just be careful with this girl, Rowen.

Rowena

"I'm going for a walk." Rowen announced as he rose from his bed.

"It's past curfew."

"So?" Rowen responded, already half way out the door, the potion tucked away in his pocket safely. It took him only a few minutes to reach his haven. He'd expected a night to himself, but was pleasantly surprised to find Victoria already enjoying its privacy.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now." Rowen said as he neared her, the door behind him transforming into stone.

"I'd say the same about you, but something tells me you hardly ever sleep." Victoria replied as she slid over on the small couch across from the fireplace she'd wished for when she first arrived. Under any other circumstances, Rowen would've wished for a bigger couch to share, but he rather like the idea of sitting so close to her once more.

"It's not that I don't sleep, I just find my thoughts so consuming that I rarely think of sleeping." He explained.

"And what thoughts might be keeping you awake tonight?" She questioned as she turned her body to face him. Her left leg was bent on the couch while her right leg hung off the edge, giving him a little more room to sit comfortably.

"Thinking about today mostly." He answered truthfully as he watched her. He noticed her hair was still wet, so instead of it falling down in front of her face the way it usually did, she had it tied back behind her neck.

"So have I." She responded.

"Are you ok?" He asked, realizing they hadn't talked about the incident even when they sat together in the hospital wing. "Your stomach I mean."

"Perfect." She responded. "She fixed me up rather nicely before we left. I didn't feel a thing. I fact, I hardly noticed it at all. I felt it when it first hit me, but then I numb for a while after that, and she'd healed it before I'd started to feel my body again." She explained with a laugh as she looked at Rowen.

"I know it was him, Riah."

"I know that's what you think." She responded, her smile falling slightly. "I just can't picture him hurting me, Rowen."

"He wasn't trying to hurt you. He meant it for me." Rowen replied as he moved closer to her again. He couldn't help but notice that she didn't tense or freeze the way she had nearly a week earlier when he'd moved closer to her.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked after a moment of silence between them.

"Of course."

"Why did you do it?"

"Jump in after you?" Rowen asked. "I thought that was rather obvious. I-"

"No," She shook her head before he could finish. "I meant… what you did underwater after you'd grabbed hold of me." She spoke softly as she avoided his gaze as if the same nervous girl he'd expected had come back again for a second appearance.

"Well…" Rowen started with a wide smile on his face. "I should like to think the answer to that question is the same as the answer to the first."

Victoria only smiled at him she turned away to stare into the fire. "I'd never been kissed before that." She spoke so softly that Rowen moved closer to hear her.

"Is that the case?" He asked, watching as a blush crept onto her pale cheeks. "Well, then, how did you enjoy it?"

"Well," She started and Rowen suddenly felt like he should brace for bad news. She slowly turned to face him, surprising him, as she continued. "It was cold, so… I don't think I really felt it... Or at least, I don't remember."

"Oh," Rowen nodded as he thought about her answer, "I don't think I've ever heard that before."

"Well I can't imagine you go around kissing girls half way down the lake all the time." Victoria responded and Rowen only nodded as he laughed in agreement.

"That's true." He agreed as he watched her. "But since you don't remember, perhaps we should try it again." Rowen had been trying to make her laugh, but he noticed she became very nervous at the mention of a second kiss.

She had turned away and stared into the fireplace as silence fell around them. He wasn't nervous, or even anxious, just simply watching her as she slowly turned back to him. "Ok," She nodded to him, watching as he smiled at her.

"How nervous are you?" He asked, curiously, though he regretted it when she blushed even more.

"That's not fair, Rowe." She told him as she turned away.

"Oh come on, Riah," Rowen moved closer to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. His other hand reached out and cupped her cheek, forcing her to face him. "It's not my goal to make you like this."

"Oh really?" She challenged, as if she hadn't felt his hand on her cheek, though it was the only thought in her mind. She had moved into his palm slightly, thinking he wouldn't notice, but he smiled when he felt her lean into his hand. "If that's not your overall goal, you wouldn't-" She stopped when Rowen's lips touched her, at first in a soft, gentle kiss.

She hadn't known what to do so she simply took in the feel of his hot lips moving against hers, until she finally responded and moved her lips as well. The kiss stayed gentle and soft for a while, until Rowen felt her hands slowly reaching out for him. Her hands found his muscular chest first, but slowly move up until she had her arms wrapped around his neck. By then, Rowen had lost most of his control and was kissing her passionately, urge on by the passion he received back from her.

Without breaking the kiss, Rowen moved the hand on her cheek to her waist, and in one swift motion, he moved her so she sat on his lap while they kissed. His lips were still moving forcefully against hers, knowing both would have swollen lips soon after, but he couldn't care. All he knew was that he was holding the girl he'd adored and now he was kissing her, and she was receiving him with just as much passion.

Finally, he broke away to gasp for air, though he didn't dare pull away farther than necessary. He put their foreheads together, his eyes still shut as he recovered from the kiss that took nearly everything inside him to stop. He felt her hands moving from his neck to his cheek, one hand staying there, while the other traveled down to his chest.

"You're heart is beating so fast." She whispered, after she pressed her hand to his chest, feeling his heart beat.

"So is yours." He replied, his hand on her back. "How was that?"

"Better." She answered, leaving Rowen laughing before he kissed her lips once more.


	6. Chapter 6

"Rowe," Victoria whispered his name as she put her head on his shoulder. His arm was around her shoulder as he held her on the couch.

"Yes?" He asked as he peered down at her. He reached down with his free hand to brush the free stands of her hair from her face.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything you want."

"And you'll answer truthfully?"

"As if I could ever lie to you." He responded, bringing a smile to her face, though he hadn't seen it.

"Have you… Have been with a girl before? I mean… intimately." She softly with pauses in between fragments of what she wanted to say, mostly due to her fear of what his answer would be.

"Riah," He sighed as he put a kiss on the top of her head. "Are you sure you want that answer?"

"Doesn't that answer my question already?" She replied as she lifted her head and looked up at him, realizing she'd spoken the truth he'd been reluctant to admit. "How many?"

"Three." He answered. She nodded as she tried to rest her head again, but he stopped her with a hand on her cheek. "But that was… a long time ago."

"Here?" She asked.

"No," He answered. "I told you, you were the first person to see this room, other than me. This is our room." He told her strongly as he kept his hand on her cheek, his thumb brushing her cheek bone just below her eye. "I haven't so much as looked at any other girl since you."

"Thank you," She whispered softly to him, still staring him in the eye. He nodded before he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Have you seen your father lately?"

"No," He answered with a shake of his head. "Not since the Hospital wing, why?"

"Mine never came to see me." She replied, putting her head down on his shoulder. "If it were Jocelyn-"

"Don't, Riah." He stopped her before she could even begin to compare herself to her sister. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Do you remember your mother?" She asked softly, but the room went silent when he didn't answer right away. "Do you remember her at all?"

"Yes," Rowen answered, putting a soft kiss on her head. "I remember her a little. She died when I was five. She used to wrap this old blanket around me whenever I got scared. It was before Hogwarts, so my dad would leave a lot. Usually with Rowena, and Eve would stay the night with us all the time. Her father died too when she was barely one, so my father was basically her father. She's my sister in every way. Bt my mother… she had this really old blanket and she would wrap me up in it every time I got scared after my father left, and then the next morning she'd come to wake me up, but the blanket would be falling off because Eve would sneak into my room when she got scared and I used to tell her that the blanket would protect us from everything."

"I don't remember my mother at all, Rowe. I don't even have somebody else to remember. At least you had Rowena. She loves you Rowe. I can see it. Everybody knows she favors you, nearly as much as her own daughter."

"Yes, but that has nothing to do with everybody else." Rowen replied. "I saved Eve all the time. After her father, and my mother, my sister was hardly able to walk yet, and my brother was still in his crib. Eve and I… We were all we had for a really long time. It wasn't for at least a few more years that your father and Helga Hufflepuff showed up and we had sort of an extended family. Except Logan and Jocelyn. I think they hated us all even from the beginning."

Victoria laughed as she tightened her grip around Rowen's body. "I always wanted to fit in with them. I wanted to belong, and I never did."

"I can't imagine anybody wanting to be like them."

"I was little, Rowe, and they were my siblings. They were the only friends I had before our parents became friends. And by the time I met you, you were always around Evelyn, and Caleb was your sister's age, and I didn't fit with them either. I was just… misplaced for the longest time."

"You never gave us a chance, Riah." He replied. "I tried to play with you once or twice, but you were just as boring as Eve." He laughed as he looked down at her, but she pushed him away slightly, only to tighten her grip when he came back to her. "But none of that matters anymore."

"I suppose not." She agreed, letting her eyes drift shut.

"Do you think Rowena and my father are… involved?" Rowen asked, and Victoria rose her head to stare up at him, thoroughly confused. "It's a serious question." He defended himself as he peered down at her. "They're… always together. And her and Eve always stay at our Manor anyway. I don't think anybody's stepped into the Ravenclaw manor in years. They live with us, Riah, I mean Eve has her own room in our manor."

"Because there are only two of them. They'd be lonely in a big Manor by themselves. I mean, there are four of you guys, with your father, and Hufflepuff is still married, and my father has the tree of us." Victoria pointed out, and Rowen shrugged.

"I still think they sort of… want something." Rowen replied, and Victoria rolled her eyes, as she rested her head once more.

"Perhaps," Victoria replied as she yawned. "They spent nearly most of their lives together. Maybe they just don't want to upset you and Eve and your little siblings." She added as she let her eyes close.

He felt her shiver against his body, so he conjured a blanket to put around her body as she lay against him. "Are you spending the night here?" He asked curiously.

She nodded against his shoulder before she spoke. "I'm too tired to make it across the castle now, and not get caught."

"Same for me." He replied as she put his head back to shut his eyes.

**

Rowen woke the next morning, and tried to stretch, but found himself pinned between the back of the couch he was laying on, and Victoria in front of him. He looked down to see the peaceful look on her face as she slept in his arms. Not wanting to wake her, he moved his legs up to straighten them, but they hung over the arm rest on the other side of the couch.

He wrapped his arm around her once again before he rest his head down on the armrest. She was curled up in between the armrests, but he deemed her to be comfortable because she was small enough to fit. He only held her for a few more minutes before she woke up and turned to look at him, a smile on her face.

"Good morning." He whispered to her.

"Good morning." She replied as she snuggled to him again, putting her face in his chest, and taking in the smell of him. "I don't think I've ever slept that well before."

"No?" Rowen asked as he rubbed her back gently.

"No," She shook her head softly as she slowly started to rise. She sat on the couch, but Rowen continued to lay. He shifted over and laid on his back as he stretched his arms out and let out a heavy sigh.

"What time is it?"

"I'm not sure." She responded as she stood up and started to straighten her robes, but to no avail. They simply wrinkled up in the same places that she had slept on it in. She moved over towards the fire to find it still burning warm, but not too hot. When she peered over her shoulder, she smiled to find Rowen watching her, still laying across the couch, his legs dangling over the arm rests.

"Why are you watching me like that?" She asked.

"Because I can." He replied, finally sitting up. "We should go out there to see what time it is. If it's still breakfast we may not have been missed yet."

"Somebody surely noticed your lack of presence by now." She replied as she pulled her wand from the inside pocket of her robe. She muttered a spell and watched as her robes flattened, as if brand new. After wishing for a mirror and chair, she sat down and started to work on her hair, attempting to make it presentable, or at least make it appear as if she hadn't spent the night with a boy.

"I don't think so. I sleep here a lot, my roommates have become accustomed to my absence in the mornings. If I disappear at night, that's new." He replied, watching her in the mirror as she combed her long black hair with a comb she'd conjured as well. When she started to reach back to pin her hair up, Rowen neared her and moved her hands away from her hair.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she peered at him through the mirror.

"Just wait." He told her as he wished for a jeweled hair piece. He stared down at his hands until a ruby encrusted hair piece materialized in his fingers. Taking back a portion of her hair, the way he knew his sister did her hair, he pinned the hair piece in place, before stepping back.

"You can keep that." He told her as she turned to look at what he'd done in the mirror.

"Red?" She asked before looking up at him. "And Gold?" She added after a second glance in the mirror. "How very stubble of you," She remarked as she laughed.

"Do you like it?"

"I do," She answered as she rose to her feet, the chair, mirror and comb disappearing into nothing as she turned her back to them. "I have to go to the Slytherin Tower, so I suppose I'll see you later."

"Alright." He nodded. "Meet me at the lake today. At lunch."

She stared at him with a smile before she nodded in agreement. "I'll be waiting for you." She whispered as he bent down to capture her lips in a kiss once more. Without another word, she turned and made her way to where she knew a door would materialize once she neared it. As she waited for the brass doorknob to appear in her grasp, she turned back to see Rowen watching her leave. Once she felt the wood of the door, she smiled at him before turning the doorknob and leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

**

Rowen had been sitting, absent mindedly throughout the entirety of his father's lecture, but he was well aware when the class had been dismissed. Usually, Rowen was the first out the door, eager to get to lunch, however this time he had a whole other mind set for his lunch period.

"Rowen," He heard his father call his name. Inwardly groaned, Rowen turned back to see his father straightening papers on his desks while his classmates filed out of the classroom. "I need to talk to you."

"About?" Rowen replied.

"Victoria." He answered as he peered up at him, after the room had cleared. "And your sudden interest in her."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rowen asked as he sat on the desk before his father, who was seated behind his professor's desk.

"Rowena talked to you, did she not?"

"She did, but I don't understand why it's such a big commotion. All I ever hear is that I jump from one girl to the next and then all of a sudden, I'm being chastised for picking one that I actually like." Rowen voiced his frustrations with a groan as he watched his father, but he eventually turned to the portrait of his mother behind Godric.

"Because she's not just any girl, Rowen." Godric replied. "It was one thing when you moved from half-bloods to muggle-borns, but she's a Slytherin, and she's far out of your reach, something you'd do well to remember!"

"Godric," The chastising voice of Rowen's mother broke into the conversation, but Godric didn't bother looking back at the portrait.

"You can't have her, Rowen. Salazar would never marry her to you. She's out of your reach, and you have to stop before you hurt the both of you."

"How can you tell me that!" Rowen yelled back at him, losing his calm for the first time in front of his father. "You of all people should know what it's like wanting something when everybody you care about keeps telling you that you can't have it. And why? Because of Slytherin! Because of one single person! You would let him decided my future?"

"Don't be foolish, Rowen." Godric replied as he stared down at the stack of papers on his desk.

"Tell me about her mother."

"What?" Godric peered up at his son, whom he felt resembled himself all too much.

"Her mother. Victoria's mother. Tell me what happened to her. Rowena told me that you knew her. That you both knew her and that you should tell Victoria about her." Rowen said strongly as he stared at his father with the conviction Godric thought nobody would have against him.

"She died in childbirth." Godric replied.

"Is that the charming story Rowena went on about?" Rowen replied with the sarcasm he knew he shouldn't have, especially when Godric snapped the quill in his hand when Rowen's words fell upon him.

"Their mother was… she was exceptional. It was tragic. Her death ruined everything, but it made Salazar. He wouldn't be here if she had lived. She would be in his place, and Victoria would be the one everybody wanted." Godric replied as he watched his son. "She was everything in one, Rowen. She was stunning, and she charming, she more powerful than me. Only she ever matched with Rowena, and she might've killed me in a duel. One thing you should've known long ago, was not to break that girl, because you just might lose your life with the power she capable of."

"And that's it? She was better than you? She matched Rowena? That was what Victoria needed to hear?"

"She gave up the one man she loved to save everybody else she cared about." Godric replied. Rowen had been so focused on his father, he hardly noticed the tears on his mother's face in the portrait. In fact, it wasn't until the silence fell around them, did Rowen realize the pain his father told the story with.

"She didn't love Slytherin."

"She loved another." Godric replied. "She loved him more than anything. She would've died for him if need be, but she married Salazar solely for the money he came with. She saved her family. She bought them a house and farm to live off of for the rest of their lives. She provided for everybody she ever cared about because she choose them over her own love, and I don't think she ever forgave herself for what she did to him. He understood. He never held it against her, but she hated herself for it. They were meant for each other, she believe anyway, but she threw it all away to become a mother to the Slytherin dynasty that she didn't even care about."

"And Victoria should've heard this story, why?" Rowen asked.

"Because Victoria is her mother inside and out, and Salazar is terrified of her. She's more powerful than anybody in this whole damn castle and once she unlocks that, nobody will stop her from getting what she wants, and right now what she wants is you!"

"And that's the most horrible thing? That she wants me?" Rowen replied.

"No," Godric sighed as he shut his eyes and shook his head. "Of course not, Rowen. It's not horrible that she wants you. It's horrible that she wants you, when you are virtually the only boy she can't have. Do you have the slightest idea of what a match between you and Victoria would be?"

Rowen wasn't sure if the question was meant to be answered, but his father continued even when Rowen remained silent.

"To match you, a Gryffindor, well known for dueling and power, to Ava's daughter, a daughter who resembles her inside and out, would be to bring together the two most powerful, most promising witch and wizard of this age, but any child from that bloodline would bear the name Gryffindor, the last thing Salazar needs or wants, is our family over powering his."

"But you're his close friend."

"That doesn't matter to him. I'd rather you married Evelyn for the sake of Hogwarts than Victoria. There are exactly two girls you cannot have, and unfortunately, only one of them repulses you." Godric replied as he looked up at Rowen who wore only a defeated look across his face.

"She is simply unobtainable through any legal, or moral ways."

"And the other ways?" Rowen asked.

"Any other way would end Hogwarts as it is now. Salazar would blame me for what you did to his daughter and he wouldn't stay here anymore. Hogwarts would not be the same if you broke all the rules for true love."

"You think this is true love?"

"It's impossible for any love at seventeen not to be true, my dear boy." Godric replied.

"So what would you have me do?" He replied. "Just sit back and watch as he marries her off to some drooling idiot? And do nothing?"

"You should do what you feel is right, but know the consequences. Anything between you and Victoria would shake the entire magical world for years to come. Your child would change everything, and your decision would change Hogwarts. Make your decision as you will, but know what you're doing before you act on impulse."

"And if she married someone else?"

"I would question my paternity." Godric replied only to hear his wife's voice in the portrait behind him.

"But if we did break all the rules?" Rowen asked softly as he peered down at a crack in the flood.

"I would love you all the same, Rowen, and support you as I pick up the pieces of the school you shattered in the dust cloud behind you."


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey," Rowen said softly as he neared Victoria at the edge of the lake. She smiled at him as he sat beside her. "Sorry it took me a while to get here. My father wanted to talk to me." He explained as he turned to her after sitting down.

"It's alright." She responded. "Was there a specific reason why you asked me here?"

"Yes, in fact there was." He replied as he reached into his robes. He retrieved the small potion vile tat Rowena had owled back to him a few days earlier as well as an envelope in which contained the revised set of instructions that Evelyn had designed. "I have this for you."

"A potion?" She rose her eye brow at him as he set the vile in her small hand.

"To improve clarity." He replied as he set the envelope in her other hand.

"What?" Victoria questioned as she stared at him, wide eyed and shocked. "You mean it actually works?"

"Well… I haven't tried it myself, but that's what Eve told me. She said it worked wonders with her school work, but she only gave me that one vile and I saved it for you." He answered as he tightened the red and gold ribbon he'd tied around the top of the vile.

"Rowen!" She laughed as she put her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, not caring in the slightest who witnessed their interaction. As far as she was concerned, he'd done much more with other girls in the same manner as they hugged.

"You didn't have to do this," She said as she pulled away from him.

"I wanted to." He replied as he watched her break the wax seal of the envelope to read the instructions that Evelyn had devised for the potion. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as her face lit up while she read the new instructions for the potion she'd wanted to have so badly, just as a part of the past she couldn't remember. He'd been so lost in the beauty beside him, he didn't notice Rowena and Godric standing at the edge of the courtyard where the path ended, watching the two.

"Rowen," Victoria said his name once more and he smiled even brighter, though the two onlookers could tell if it was from the way she said his name, or the embrace she threw upon him soon after. Rowen's eyes shut as he held her, no doubt thinking about the harsh reality his father had bestowed upon him only moments ago, but nothing else seemed to matter once Victoria tightened her grip around his neck, and in return he tightened his grip around her. It was all he could do to stop himself from promising the world to her.

"I'm glad you like it." He whispered to her. "And I'm sure Evelyn will have so many more things in her life that you could claim this as your own and she wouldn't even notice."

Victoria laughed as she pulled away and looked at him, with a smile that reminded Godric and Rowena all too much of her mother. "I don't want to publish the recipe, Rowen. I only wanted it as a piece of my mother."

"You should talk to my father about your mother." Rowen suggested. "He knew her, you know."

"He did?" Victoria asked as she looked into Rowen's green eyes.

"So did Rowena." He added.

"Why didn't they ever tell me?" She asked softly as she peered down at the potion vile that she cradled in her hands.

"I don't suppose your father would've liked that." Rowen replied.

"I don't my father cares much for me. Not like Jocelyn or Logan." She said.

Rowen heard a sigh from behind him, but restrained himself from turning back. Part of him knew all too well who it was eavesdropping on the conversation they weren't included in.

"That's only because Jocelyn and Logan are the same as he is." Rowen told her. "You're not like him. You're like your mother. You remind him of her, and I don't think he rather likes that much."

"You can't know I was like her." She pointed out as she looked up at him. "And if he didn't like my mother, why would he marry her?"

"Nobody gets to choose their future. Not here at least." Rowen replied.

"That's very grim of you." Victoria replied, her voice falling. "I should like to think he would take my considerations in mind when he made a choice for me."

"That what everybody wants, Riah." He shrugged as he stared out at the clear blue waters. "But I don't think your father thinks of momentary happiness. I think he only cares about the bloodline and the far future."

"Well if you can't be happy in the moment, why should the far future matter so much?" Victoria countered as she pulled away and looked up at Rowen as if he had offended her. He turned down to her and her face softened when she realized something was bothering him. He only shook his head as he put their foreheads together, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek.

"What's wrong, Rowe?" She asked as she pulled back from him and forced him to look her in the eye.

"You won't understand, Victoria." He told her, using her full name for the first time since she told him her preferred name.

"You don't know that."

"I know you're hopelessly attached to some loving, caring image of your father that doesn't exist." He replied, speaking so harshly he'd regretted saying anything halfway through the sentence.

"So what?" Victoria shoved his arm away from her. "He doesn't care at all? Or just not about me?"

"Riah," Rowen sighed as he pulled her back to him. "Please don't." He whispered as he put a kiss on her cheek.

"Stop that, Rowen." She told him. "Anybody could be around us."

"And you think I care?" He replied.

"My father-" She started but stopped.

"Exactly." He replied. "Your father. You don't even have to say anything else. He would never let us, Riah. He would never understand, and he would never care. You're just a pawn to him in some bigger ideal world where he's the most powerful wizard with the most influence. The moment he gets the chance he's just going to marry you off to some family and shackle them into his huge plan to becoming the ruling family."

Victoria stared at Rowen and for a moment all that was between them were tearing eyes and uncomfortable silence as he waited nervously to see how she'd reacted to his words. He let out a sigh of relief when she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crease of his neck and shoulder.

Having nothing left to say, Rowen rubbed her back as he held her, starting the feel the dampness of his robes from her tears. He looked over to find Rowena and Godric staring down at them, Rowena with a look of pain as if she shared in the moment with them, but Godric had a look of disappointment.

"Rowe?" Victoria pulled back and looked up at him, only a few tears on her cheeks.

"Yes?" He replied as he wiped them away with his thumb.

"How far do you think we'd get before he noticed?"

Rowen laughed as he put a kiss on her forehead. "So that's why I care for you as I do." He commented as they turned to look out at the lake, his arms still holding her closer than he probably should have.

**

"Professor?" Her voice called out softly, though she knew he had heard him. Victoria stepped closer to the desk in the front of the classroom as Godric slowly peered up at the girl.

"Victoria." He said her name before he continued to straighten the papers on his perpetually messy desk. "Is there something in particular that you needed?"

"I was hoping that perhaps you could tell me about my mother." Victoria replied, slightly unsure about herself, and the feeling intensified when he stopped what he was doing to peer up at her. "I mean, if you don't mind and I'm not interrupting you at all."

"No," He replied. "You're not." Godric shook his head as he stood up straight and motioned to the doorway that lead to his private office. "Here," He said as he opened the door and let her enter first. Godric followed behind her and shut the door as he entered. With a tap of his want on the table, a cup of tea was poured for him as he walked towards the large chest on the other side of the room.

"Might I inquire about your sudden interest in your past?" Godric asked as he unlocked the chest and pulled it open.

"Rowen suggested I ask." She answered.

"Naturally," Godric replied with a slight smile on his lips. "I do so hope you can find your wits about you when it comes to that boy." Victoria only laughed as she watched Godric look though the trunk, until he finally stood up straight holding a rather large book in his arms.

"What's that?"

"Years and years of pictures, my dear." He answered as he pulled a chair over to sit beside her. He opened the book and pulled one of the first pictures out to hand to her. "Ava lived nearby my family's summer home, so every summer we spent the days together, and they passed like nothing else." Godric explained as he handed the picture to Victoria. She only stared down at the picture of her mother in her youth, amazed at the resemblance between herself and her mother.

"She was pureblood, as you know, but she never cared about blood status as many did then." Godric said, still looking through the oldest of the photos he had of Ava. "And she was powerful, mind you. More powerful than I am."

"Really?" Victoria looked up at Godric who nodded.

"She was extraordinary, Victoria. She was brilliant. Rowena and your mother would sit for hours discussing matters only they could understand. Aside from my wife, rest her soul, Rowena and your mother were the only two women in the world that I cared for. I would've done anything for them, and had it not been for your mother, I probably would've suffered long term damage from all the brilliant ideas I've had over the years." Godric laughed as he handed Victoria a photo of her mother with a man she didn't recognize.

"Who is this?" Victoria asked, narrowing her eyes at the man in the photo, watching as he put his arms around her mother, and kissed her on the cheek.

"His name is Ethan. Ethan Samuels. That man was the only man your mother ever loved."

"But my father-" Victoria stopped as she stared up at Godric.

"Your father was a means to an end to your mother. She was pureblood, but she didn't have money. She loved that man with everything inside her, but she married Salazar and bought your grandparents a new house, and a farm to live off of. She took care of them the way they deserved, but she never forgave herself for leaving Ethan. She used to say that he was her soul mate, through and through, and no matter the amount Salazar spent on her would ever change her heart."

"She didn't care about him? Not at all?"

"I hate to be the one to tell you, Victoria." Godric sighed as he let her look through the book on her own. "But your father isn't the steaming well of kindness everybody wishes him to be. He can be cold, and he can be distant, and he can be an ungodly mixture of the two when he doesn't get what he wants."

"Why does he only care for Logan and Jocelyn? Why does he cast me aside and give into every one of their whims?" Victoria demanded answers, though she hadn't meant to. She calmed when she felt Godric's hand on her shoulder.

"My dear girl, have you not realized that you are your mother, inside and out? You are every bit of her while Logan and Jocelyn are every bit your father or at least to afraid to be anything else. Your father was threatened by your mother, at the very least. Had your mother survived, she would be the fourth founder of this school, and your father would be on the sideline watch his wife succeed in everything she did."

"Then why did you accept him?"

"Your mother was a brilliant woman, Victoria. She wrote every one of her ideas down. Every potion she brewed, every spell she casted, every bit of magic she uncovered she recorded in a series of journals. Rowena wanted the best for our students, and decided to all Slytherin his share of the school, in exchange for every journal your mother had. We received her work, and he received power and influence."

"So… my father… He doesn't really deserve his place here? Not really. Not on his own."

"No," Godric shook his head. "Your mother gave him everything he wanted. A male heir to continue his bloodline and carry on his name, two daughters to marry off to improve his only political standing, and her death gave him influence and power of the most promising witches and wizards of the future."

"So he doesn't care?" Victoria asked.

"He would never let you marry Rowen, Victoria." Godric told her softly as she peered down at a photo of Ethan embracing her mother. "You may keep as many photos as you'd like. I even have an old necklace of your mother's. Would you like to keep it?"

"Very much," Victoria nodded as she looked up at Godric. He smiled as he rose up and walked to the truck once more. He searched for a moment before he drew a silver chain from the chest, a small ruby pendant hanging from the bottom.

"It's rather Gryffindor, but it matches your hair piece nicely," Godric laughed as he saw the gold and red hairpiece in her hair. He handed the necklace to her before taking his seat beside her to see her laughing as she reached back to touch the gift from Rowen.

"Rowen gave it to me."

"I imagine he did." Godric replied. "It's very Gryffindor of you." He simply watched as the girl he felt would become his future daughter in law, as she clasped the necklace around her neck, then held the ruby pendant in her hand as if it were the most treasured possession she had.

"So my father," Victoria started as she looked to Godric. "Why does he treat me differently than Jocelyn or Logan?"

"He's terrified you Victoria." Godric answered. "One day, you'll see how powerful you are, and it'll even surprise you. You're twice as powerful as anybody in this entire castle; you just haven't unleashed your full potential yet. I think that once that happens, you won't need your father's approval as much as you think you need it now. You could be anything you want, Victoria. You don't even need a wand. You could perform even the most difficult of spells with your hand if you wanted. You probably don't even need to say a word. You are your mother's daughter, inside and out, and it terrifies your father because you could over throw him in an instant and he's not powerful enough to stop you. Not even I'm powerful enough to stop you."

"But I-" Victoria stopped as she peered at Godric. "Me?"

"Yes. It's that self doubt that he's put inside you from the moment you were born that holds you back. It's as if the moment he saw your dark hair, and your bright eyes, he treated you in a way that would create this wall in front of you so you could never question him." Godric explained. "Rowena tried her hardest to break through to you, but he would never allow it. Even Rowen's mother loved you dearly and desperately wanted to teach you the magic you're capable of, but none of us to get to you. You were so heavily shielded from the only ones who wanted to see you take your mother's place."

"Is that what you still want from me?"

"I want what you want, Victoria." He responded. "Your father would never allow you to marry Rowen, but perhaps that's the place your mother always wished she was in."

"With Ethan?" Victoria asked.

"With the only man she ever loved."

"You think we should just… run away?"

"It's not up to me, Victoria, what the two of you will or will not do. I know for a fact I will be the one to take the fall for anything your father believes my son has done to you. He'll never step foot back in this school if he hears my son whisked you away in the dead of the night to run away against what everyone wanted from you both."

"Hogwarts will end." Victoria said.

"No. I won't let it end, but it won't be the same." Godric replied. "Your father is just deluded enough to think Rowen would be the one to take you away from your future, instead of thinking it was your passion that only your mother had that wanted true love to last."

"You wouldn't be mad at him?"

"Never in a million years, my dear." He replied with a smile. "He is my son, and he wants what he wants. He'll be great one day, I'm sure, but Hogwarts was my project, not his. He'll have his own life and if he's willing to risk everything for you to be a part of it, I would never stand in the way."

"I wish you had been the one to raise me." Victoria said softly as she looked down at a photo of her mother.

"So do I, Victoria." He replied as she started to pull a few photos out from the book and set them aside.

"Thank you for telling me everything." She looked up at him after she closed the book.

"OF course," He replied as he took the heavy book from her arms. She walked passed him and went to the door, turning back once more to smile at Godric for his honesty and genuine care for her. "Be good to him, Victoria."

"Forever."


	8. Chapter 8

"Rowen." She moaned his name in a way that made her even more irresistible to him. Desperate for more, his lips claimed hers, in a powerful demanding kiss, but she didn't object. She rather liked it when he was forceful with her. It excited her even more when his body came down on hers, pinning her down to the bed he'd wished for the moment they'd entered the room.

When his lips turned to her neck, she moaned again, amazed at how long she'd gone without the feeling of his lips cherishing her body. She'd been so focused on his lips she'd forgotten about his hands on her waist, slowly traveling up towards the hem of the school shirt she wore beneath the robe he'd already discarded from her body.

"Rowe." She moaned again and he lowered more of his body weight onto her. As he kissed the pale column of her neck, he could feel the vibrations of her moan deep within her before he even heard them aloud. Finally, her hands moved from his hand to his hair, her fingers tangling in his mane of dark red strands.

"You're so beautiful." He managed to breathe words between kisses as he trailed a path of kisses from her neck to her ear, slowly lowering the rest of his body weight to her, and listening to her moan, desperate for more.

She had been well aware that he knew exactly where to touch, and exactly what to do, but never did she think he could excite her the way he was as he kissed, nibbled and licked all the right places at seemingly the exact right time. She let her eyes drift shut as she let him explore her body however he wanted, but she tensed when she felt his fingers slip beneath the hem of her shirt.

He immediately felt her body tense beneath his, and withdrew his fingers, knowing his boundaries of her body. He would never push into more than what she was comfortable with, so he easily restrained himself to kisses on her neck and upward, despite how badly he wanted so much more.

"Rowe." She said his name, but this time trying to catch his attention.

"Yes?" He breathed into her ear making her shut her eyes as she took in the sensation of his hot breath, much like the first night she'd been in his haven. "What is it, love?"

"We should talk." She finally managed to say.

"What about?" He asked as he pulled away from her soft, touchable skin, and put their foreheads together. He lifted some of his body weight off of her, so as not to crush her, but he sensed she missed the sensation as soon as he lifted himself up.

"I just…"

"We don't have to do anything, Riah." He promised as he kissed her lips softly. "Just whatever you're comfortable with."

"I want this, Rowe." She told him, staring up into his emerald eyes. For a moment he froze above her, only staring down into the sapphire eyes that held enough conviction to persuade anybody. "I want you."

"But, Riah, we-"

"I don't care about anybody else, Rowe. I want to be yours in every way."

"You already are, love." He reminded her as he put a soft kiss on her cheek, and then pulled up once more to stare down at her again.

"I want more than just a kiss, than just laying together, Rowen." She told him and he shut his eyes and fell to the side of her sighing.

"You will be the end of me, I'm sure." Rowen sighed as he rolled to his side to face her. She had done the same and as she looked him in the eye, her conviction had not faltered in the slightest. "You can't give that up to me, Riah, simply because…"

"Because what?" She asked, finally realizing he had never said he loved her. He'd hinted at it for nearly as long as they'd been spending time together but never did she hear the three words in succession as he spoke to her.

"You could be married off to somebody else, Riah, and what happens when they noticed you're not as innocent as they thought when they recited wedding vows?"

"You would have me married to somebody else?" She asked, feeling tears in her eyes already.

"No, Riah." He reached out to her and she clung to him. "Of course not. I would never see you married to some other man. Never. But…"

"But what?"

"But that's what may happen."

"We could just… run away." She lifted her head to look into his eyes. She knew inside her he wanted what was best for her, and she understood that he felt running away and leaving behind all her friends and family was not deemed as the best possible outcome for her, but she cared little for anything else if he was not in her future.

"I've thought about so many times, Riah." He said with a sigh as he held her, putting his chin on the top of her head. "But we couldn't do anything like that now. Not until we're off Hogwarts grounds. Maybe during winter holiday, but if not, after the school term ends. There's no way to leave Hogwarts without setting off every alarm, buzzer and bell in the castle."

"So you won't… unless you know for sure we'll be together?" She asked.

"I just don't want to ruin your life, Riah."

"The only thing that could ruin my life is to be married off to some other man, and only know his touch without even the memory of yours." Victoria replied as she looked up into Rowen's eyes. He nearly lost all self control as he heard her words that tore through him like a dagger through the heart. "I want to know your body Rowen," She whispered in his ear as he shut his eyes, his arms tightening around her. "I want to at least have your memory, if nothing else."

"You can have any part of me you should want." He replied as he rolled over so he laid above her, pinning her down beneath his body once more. Her arms immediately found their place around his neck as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

**

"You never told me this girl's name." Evelyn commented as she and Rowen walked down the tall corridor to the Headmasters'' shared office. She pulled her black hair over her shoulder, and Rowen tried his best not to imagine Victoria from the night before however the cause was lost.

"Because you wouldn't believe me, even if by some stroke of madness I did tell you." Rowen replied, peering down at the girl who was practically his sister in every way, despite the sporadic rumors involving the two of them interlocked in some forbidden romance. Every time one of them fell onto his ears, he couldn't help but think they'd picked the wrong girl for that story.

"I would always believe you," Evelyn replied, peering ahead at the staircase they were slowly nearing. "I mean it's not like you're all smitten with a Slytherin girl," She laughed, noticed his quiet demeanor that was quite uncharacteristic of him. "It's a Slytherin girl, isn't it?" She asked looking up at him. "She's just a Slytherin right, not an actual Slytherin daughter, right?"

"Think what you'd like," Rowen replied laughing as the two stepped onto the first step of the moving staircase so they could see their parents.

"It's not Jocelyn is it? I don't think I'd be able to attend any marriage ceremony with her there." Evelyn laughed and Rowen joined in as he opened the black gate before the door that lead into the office. "Where are they?" Evelyn asked as they peered around the empty office.

"In one of their private offices." Rowen suggested as he moved to the first door on his right. It was the door that lead to his father's private Headmaster office. "Father we-" He started to announce the reason for the unexpected visit, but he stopped when he saw the sight behind his father's desk.

"Ok," Evelyn nodded as she looked upon her mother locked in Godric's arms, their lips obviously recently parted from the other. "We'll just…"

"Come back later." Rowen suggest as the two turned and walk away, leaving their parents rather embarrassed at the sight, however the feeling faded slightly faster than they expected when they heard the two laughing on their way out the way any two siblings would should they walk upon a romantic sight between their parents.

"That's interesting." Evelyn laughed and Rowen agreed, hoping the new romance would distract her from his own. He sighed at his wishful thinking when Evelyn simply brought it up again. "So it's not Jocelyn?"

"I would never court a girl like that, Eve. Don't you know your dear brother in the slightest?" Rowen teased as they continued down the corridor until the turned a corner. They were still on the far end of the castle, so neither expected anybody to be around for at least a few more minutes as they walked towards the center of the castle.

"My dear brother would've told me the moment he started courting any girl, whether I believed it to be true or not. You, I'm afraid, are not the same dear brother I thought I had." Evelyn replied and Rowen only looking down at her, laughing at her reasoning.

Rowen parted his lips to reply, but he was distracted when Victoria came around the corner before them, heading towards the Headmasters' office. "Victoria, your father isn't there." Evelyn told her kindly as she stopped before the siblings.

"I'm look for your father." She answered looking up at Rowen who peered back down at her.

"He's… busy, right now." Rowen laughed and Evelyn would've laughed, had she missed the look in their eyes as they looked at each other, even in her presence.

"You're such a horrible person!" Evelyn turned to Rowen, her jaw falling open as she hit him on the shoulder with an open hand.

"What did I do to you?" Rowen turned to her, outraged as he looked from one short head of long black hair to another, though one appeared to be slightly more sane than the other.

"You lied. You said she wasn't an actual Slytherin daughter! And she is!" Evelyn motioned to Rowen, and he rolled his eyes, suddenly glad they walked at a pace slower than normal, otherwise she would've had her break through with witnesses.

"When did I say that?" Rowen replied. "You assumed that, I simply let you believe what you wanted. If you wanted to think she was only in Slytherin House then who was I to correct you, although, she is in Slytherin house."

"I-" Victoria started but stopped as she started to blush and look away when she realized what had happened.

"Of course you would pick the most match to make." Evelyn commented, peering up at Rowen with narrowed eyes that he recognized as Rowena's glare as well.

"We'll discuss this later." Rowen told her.

"No! For years you called me your sister," Evelyn pointed out as she took hold of his arm when he tried to walk away with Victoria. "Now, you can tell your sister everything."

"It's best that you don't know, Eve." He replied. "I shouldn't want any blame to fall upon you when the time comes."

"You're just going to run aren't you?" Evelyn asked as she looked at Victoria first, then up at Rowen. "I can't imagine her father just… giving up his name to you. You would never… never be married. Not here. Not with our parents."

"That's why it's best you don't know, Evelyn." Rowen repeated, using her full name. Though Victoria only recently learned he used full names only when he needed them to completely understand, Evelyn had known that all along. "What you don't know, can never be used against you."

"Will I ever see you again?" Evelyn asked, her voice falling slightly as she reached out to put her hand on her brother's arm. "After, I mean… Whenever you do…"

"Of course you will." Rowen replied as he pulled her into an affectionate embrace. "I would never leave you behind, Eve, only temporarily."

"Is it foolish of me to worry already?" Evelyn asked as Rowen released her.

"Foolish? Perhaps, but never bad." Rowen said as he put a soft kiss on her cheek. "You only worry for the ones you love, but right now, Eve, there's nothing to worry about." He told her before he took Victoria's hand in his, only to raise her hand to press his lips to her delicate fingers.

"Oh really?" Evelyn replied as Rowen dropped Victoria's hand, allowing it to fall back to her side. "So I don't have to worry about waking up one day to find you both gone without so much a warning?"

"Well if it's a warning you want-"

"Rowen," Evelyn sighed, cutting him off as the three started to walk again, in the direction away from the Headmasters' office.

"I can give you a warning, if that's what you'd like." Rowen mumbled beneath his breath as he walked between the two women he cared for more than any other, resembling his father years ago when he once walked between Eva and Rowena, caring for no one outside the three who seemed to know more than those around them.

"You're not understanding." Evelyn told him and Rowen sighed, rolling his eyes. "I thought the one thing you understood far better than anyone else, was the female mind."

"Well apparently you both are the exception to that rule." He replied, looking straight ahead, trying his best not to look down as the two shorter women exchanged glances and giggled to themselves as if they'd been in on the same secret for months time. While Rowen may have understood the female mind better than most of his male counterparts, he would never understand how two women, who never so much as spoke a full sentence to one another, could laugh as if they'd been friends for years. It certainly was not something he'd ever change, for he enjoyed the sound of laughter between the only two women he'd ever give his life for.


	9. Chapter 9

"Rowen, where are your siblings?" Rowena asked as she frantically moved about her chambers, located in the tower in the back of the castle, where most of the Professors had their sleeping quarters and their chambers.

"I don't know," Rowen replied in a monotone as he reclined in the chair sitting beside Rowena's personal desk. Evelyn was standing behind him as the two looked down a book they'd come across during one of their nightly strolls through the restricted section of the library. The entire castle had already been drained of students, for the carriages had left hours ago, and all who remained to inhabit the castle during the first day of the winter holiday, were the four founders and their children. Helga Hufflepuff however, and her son Caleb, had already left to the Hufflepuff Manor leaving only the Ravenclaws, Gryffindors and Slytherins remaining.

"Well your father is looking for them." Rowena replied as she waved her wand in the direction of her trunk sitting at the edge of the bed. "And he'll get worried if they're not ready by now. Do they know how to get here?" She asked, referring to the Professors' tower usually off limits to the students.

"They'll figure it out." Rowen answered as he started to turn the page, but Evelyn swatted his hand away so she could finish reading the page he had no particular interest in.

"Mother, why are you so frantic?" Evelyn commented as she pulled over a seat with the wave of her hand. After a slight fight, she won possession over the book from Rowen and continued to read by herself. "Just tap your wand and everything packs by it's self, anyway."

"She's nervous." Rowen answered.

"Why?" Evelyn asked, carrying on the conversation about her mother as if she was not standing in the same room staring down at her daughter, and the boy she felt influenced her a little too much when she realized what they were reading about.

"Where did you get that book?" She demanded as it levitated out of Evelyn's hand.

"We found it on your bookcase." Rowen lied easily as he motioned to the book case behind them. Usually the bookcase was neatly organized but under the circumstances, Rowena cared very little about the state of her bookcase.

"Why are you so frazzled, mother?" Evelyn asked again, looking up at her mother as she grabbed the book from mid air, and held it on her hip as she stared down at the two once more.

"I think you're over reacting about this whole ordeal with you and my father." Rowen put in as he stared at Rowena momentarily, until his eyes fell onto the book in her hand. "It's not that big of a deal… not really."

"How can you-" Rowena started but stopped as she peered down at the two once more, who were still clad in their school robes. "We thought you two would have the objection. Rowen, you especially because you remember your mother."

"Well… I remember her, sure, but you were there." Rowen replied. "I have a mother, and I know that, but you were the mother that was there after I was no longer afraid of the dark. You were a mother too, just not in the same way as Eve or my little brother."

"And you don't have any objection?" Rowena asked looking between the two, only to find their interest was invested on the book in her hand. "Pay attention," She snapped as she tossed the book into her nearby trunk, not wanting to walk it back to the library. "You'll steal it back later anyway." She mumbled under her breath as she continued to pack her things.

"Rowen," Godric's voice called through the room as he appeared in the doorway. "Go fetch your siblings please. We only have a few hours before our Winter Ball starts. I should hope you all have your outfits ready."

"We shouldn't have spent an extra day here," Rowen commented as he rose to his feet, even though he had thoroughly enjoyed the quiet of the castle when only seven students were there, but were free to roam and sleep where they liked. He especially enjoyed Victoria's company in his dormitory when she'd explained to her siblings she was spending quality time with Evelyn.

"Just go find them, please. And try not to get distracted by any girl you should find on your way to the Gryffindor tower." Godric replied as he stepped further into the room, so Rowen could exit, leaving Evelyn alone with the new romantic pair. She simply stared up at them as they peered at each other from across the room, until she rose to her feet and made an exit as well, without so much as giving a false reason.

After exiting Rowena's Chambers, Rowen walked down the corridor, passing Salazar's chambers, to which the door was wide open. He noticed Logan speaking to his father in a low tone while Jocelyn sat on the other side of her father's chambers looking down at her nails. Victoria's absence made Rowen's heart beat a little faster as his walk pace increased to match it, only in hopes of finding Victoria alone in an empty corridor where he might steal a forbidden kiss from her perfect lips.

His hopes were not wasted when he found a black haired beauty strolling at her once pace as she read from a black book in her hands. Instead of announcing his presence, He simply strode towards her, and trapped her between his body and the stone wall, catching her by surprise. She would've yelled, but he'd clasped his lips onto hers, silencing the vibrations in her throat until they subsided. Upon recognizing the warm lips, she started to kiss him back, her arms wrapping around his neck, one hand still grasping the binding of the plain black book.

"That's a nice surprise." She whispered against his lips as he slowly pulled away, though he couldn't refrain from placing short kisses on her lips between each ragged breath.

"My father sent me to fetch my siblings." He replied as he finally pulled away from her and peered down into her perfect sapphire eyes. "I'm just going to send them to the Professor's Tower. Meet me outside the library. I'll be there in a moment." He called to her as he started to run down the hallway to find his siblings

"We'll be late, Rowe." She called back to him, still leaning against the wall where he'd pinned her.

"They won't leave us behind, love." He replied laughing, though he hadn't turned back to her. She watched him disappear around the corner before she forced herself to walk back towards the library, knowing full well she'd rather be left alone in Hogwarts with Rowen than be on time to the Winter Ball where she had a feeling Darius Malfoy would be waiting for her attention.

She arrived to the library and instead of slipping inside the room, she found an alcove across the corridor from the entrance to the library. Sitting down in the sunlight that streamed through the open window, she peered down at the black book in her hands once more. It took only a few minutes, as he had promised, for Rowen to appear before her, taking one her hands from her lap as he eagerly pulled her from her seat.

"What is it?" She asked, but he didn't answer, he only smiled at her over his shoulder as he lead her into the library. She followed him, nonetheless, even as he came to the gate that marked the beginning of the restricted section, which existed solely for the entertainment of the Professors who wanted a read too outrageous for the students.

"Rowen, this is the restricted section." Victoria told him as if by some chance he hadn't noticed when he unlatched the gate and lead her in, closing the gate behind her. "What are we doing here?"

"I want to show you something." He finally spoke as he lead her down the ends of the bookcases. His head turned, reading the golden panels on the ends of the bookcases, as he searched for something specific.

"Show me what?"

"Just wait. I found this the other day when I was here with Eve." HE explained. "We were both surprised, and I would've grabbed it then, but the caretaker appeared out of no where and I had to hide."

"How do you get away with that?" Victoria asked curiously. "You leave your… your charmed room in the dead of the night when anybody could've heard you and you're never caught."

"It's my haven, Riah." He replied to her as if that had been the point of her sentence. He was climbing up the staircase attached to the bookcase to better reach the top shelves, so he hadn't peered down at her. Instead he was skimming the bindings of the books as he searched for the one he wanted.

"Fine, your haven." She corrected herself, saying his invented name for the room as if it were a child's game. "How do you escape ever being seen?"

"That's quite simple, love." He answered, still not peering down at her.

"So simple, that I hope you can expand on it." Victoria replied, still watching him above her.

"I have an invisibility cloak." He told her as if it were nothing, but part of him knew she was aware of how rare they were, even to a family with the finances and influence as hers.

"Where on earth did you get a hold of one of those?" Victoria questioned as he finally pulled a book from the top shelf. It wasn't as large as the other's had been on the top shelf, but when he brought it down to the light she could see it was only one volume in a series.

"My father gave it to me years ago." He answered as Victoria stared down at the book. He thought she hadn't heard him, but he didn't repeat the answer because he knew what she was looking at specifically.

When he and Evelyn had been in the restricted section only a few days prior, they have dusted off some of the cover of the same book he pulled down, for the second time that week, to reveal Rowena Ravenclaw as the author. As Rowen watched, however, Victoria's fingers pushed the dust off the rest of the cover to find the name "Ava Slytherin" written just beneath Rowena's name.

"My mother wrote this book." Victoria whispered softly as she stared at her mother's name in awe.

"After she was married, yes." Rowen answered. "There are about five other volumes up there, and this is the last one. It's also the only one under the name Slytherin. She wrote the first four under the name Potter."

"Potter?" Victoria narrowed her eyes as she looked up at Rowen. "Was that her name?"

"Yes." Rowen nodded. "I found a few other books under her name alone. These are all listed under Ravenclaw."

"But I've never heard of any Potter family."

"I found a Potter family tree tucked into one of the pages of her other books. Guess who is at the end of the diagram, but has a different name because she got married?"

"So… the Potter line isn't around anymore?" Victoria asked.

"Well, perhaps not in name, but from what I hear, you are your mother, are you not?"

"Can we take this?" Victoria changed the subject as she looked back down at the large book before her.

"Of course." Rowen laughed as he pulled his wand from the inside pocket of his robes. He simply tapped the corner of the book, shrinking it to pocket size. He replaced his wand before lifting the smaller version of the book and plopping it into her hand. "you can take anything you should like, Riah." He told her and she only laughed as they started to walk back towards the exit.

**

"How do I look?" Evelyn asked as she came from her room in the Gryffindor Manor, wearing a dress of a deep blue color but the corset was black. Her hair was pulled up in an elegant fashion, while only a few strands fell around her face.

"Fantastic." Godric replied smiling at her. He simply walked past her, Rowena following close behind, clad in a similar dress, however the colors were reversed. Rowen had been leaning against his door across the hall from Evelyn's room, impatiently waiting for her.

"Are you ready?" Rowen asked as they two followed their parents in a very similar pattern.

"Yes." Evelyn answered, looking up at Rowen, to find his hair was neatly combed, and his clothing was perfectly stitched. On his sleeve he even had the Gryffindor symbol stitched into the red fabric. The idea was not his alone, for Evelyn wore the Ravenclaw family symbol on her dress.

"Perfect," Godric spoke as he turned back to his younger two children.

"You all look stunning." The voice of Rowen's mother caught everyone's attention, drawing their eyes to her portrait hanging above the fireplace in the room where they whole family had gathered to leave for the Winter Ball.

"Did you follow us here?" Godric asked, as he smiled up at the portrait.

"Did you think I would miss the look upon my son's face after tonight?" She replied before she smiled upon Rowena, sending her only a smile of understanding that Rowena replied with a mouthed thank you.

"And tonight is so special because?" Godric asked.

"You know bloody hell why it is, Godric." She replied. "Now off, all of you. Enjoy yourselves. Rowen, not too much. Rowena, I do so love your hair, and I wish you never hold yourself back."

Only Rowen's younger siblings had misunderstood her, but the older four had known exactly what she'd meant. As if they were in any particular hurry, the two families left for the Slytherin Manor. Within moments, they arrived in the back room of the Slytherin Manor where Salazar was fixing the collar on Logan's dress shirt.

The room was darkly colored, all black and dark green, and the only light was from the sun streaming through the windows behind the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw families. Godric and Rowena stepped forward first, as Salazar motioned for Jocelyn to help her brother, before nearing them to welcome them.

"You're just on time." Salazar exclaimed as he embraced Godric, then kissed Rowena on the cheek. "We're only waiting on Helga, her husband, and little Caleb, and then we'll enter from the second floor in pairs."

"Salazar, you've really out done yourself," Godric told him as the two men walked away from the others, leaving Rowena alone before she turned back to her daughter. Rowen, standing beside Evelyn, was otherwise preoccupied with Victoria's lack of presence. He had been anxiously waiting to see her in a ball gown, but now as he was there in her home, he could not find her, granted he was confined to only the one room.

As soon as the Hufflepuff family arrived, Salazar lead his guests of honor out of the room and down a corridor that matched the dreary colors of the room they'd previously been in. Finally they came to a corner where the corridor was exposed to the first floor, and in the center of the exposed portion was the grand staircase. Salazar looked to a man on the other side of the corridor who stepped out in sight of the crowds they could hear below on the first floor.

"Hear, hear!" The man called out as he looked down over the railing to the guests below him. "Welcome to the Slytherin Manor, this year's location of the Winter Ball, an annual event that includes only the highest witches and wizards of the age! I should like to announce the guests of honor tonight, starting with Thomas Gryffindor."

A low clap was heard as Rowen watched his young brother stride out into the attention, then slowly walk down the stair case. As his sister and Caleb were announced, they did the same, arm in arm, but with much more practiced grace than the small boy before them. Rowen turned back once more to glance around him, but still he had not spotted Victoria.

"Salazar?" Godric tapped his shoulder. "Where might your other daughter be tonight?" He asked, sensing his son's distress.

"She'll be announced later." Salazar promised as Evelyn and Rowen were announced together. Rowen had a forced, but well practiced smile upon his face as he took Evelyn's arm and lead her down the staircase with ease. The two moved off to the side and peered back up, both expecting Victoria at any moment. Instead Logan and Jocelyn were next, Jocelyn with a look of absolute hatred of the moment, as if she'd rather be anywhere than there in the spotlight, thought Rowen knew there had to be some underlying cause.

Godric and Rowena walked down next, arm in arm, in a sort of way that Evelyn and Rowen couldn't help but notice that it looked very familiar to the pair. Helga walked next on the arm of her husband, and finally, Salazar came alone.

"I'm sorry," Evelyn whispered to Rowen as he stared up at the empty staircase, expecting Victoria to simply appear before him. Rowen only shook his head as he turned back to her, realizing there were standing still in the center of a dance. He only wrapped his arms around her and the two easily stepped into the practiced footing as if they'd been partners in the dance for years.

While most men kept their eyes on their partners, Rowen's eyes scanned the room, halting the moment he saw black hair, but none of the girls there were beautiful enough for him to mistake as Victoria. As he turned and swayed with Evelyn in his arms, all he really saw were the twirl of the bright colors of all the dresses, when all he wanted to see was the perfect image of Victoria before him, wanting one dance with him, the perfect excuse to hold her close even in public.

When the dance ended, there was little else to do but escape the cleared floor to hide among the masses, and hopefully lose himself in the process, but Evelyn was always right behind him. He feared her presence would confirm some odd rumor of a romance between them, but as the thought crossed his mind, he deemed it unimportant seeing as he would never be given a valid chance to marry the only girl he wanted.

"Rowen, there's still the entire night left." Evelyn reminded him. "Just keep your eye open. She may be waiting for you elsewhere." She whispered in his ear before she disappeared into the twirl of colors around him.

It seemed only moments later that he heard the voice of the same man who had announced their arrival. Rowen peered around to see everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare up at the second floor once more. Raising to his feet, Rowen watched as Victoria entered the second floor corridor, but much to his horror, on the arm of the boy he wished he'd dragged into the lake those many weeks ago.

"Now, to announce the true guests of honor," The man spoke, motioning towards Victoria and Darius Malfoy, "Victoria Slytherin, and her betrothed, Darius Malfoy."


	10. Chapter 10

"Now, to announce the true guests of honor," The man spoke, motioning towards Victoria and Darius Malfoy, "Victoria Slytherin, and her betrothed, Darius Malfoy."

The crowd erupted into loud applause but the sound amplified in Rowen's ears as he watched painfully the new couple descend the stairs, a light of grace upon them. He watched Victoria, his eyes glued to her painfully, but she was all he could see. Until that point the room had been flashing colors across his eyes like nothing before, but now as Victoria stepped down the stairs elegantly, all else was black and white in his mind and all he noticed was the perfect green dress she wore, flattering her every curve and the black regal designs that made it all the more fashionable.

In an instant, the world regained it's color and Rowen stared in shock as another man, but a boy in Rowen's mind, put his lips upon the skin of the woman who belonged to him. He'd hardly noticed Evelyn at his side, pulling on his arms, a frantic look in her face, but he noticed when his father stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the sight he didn't want to see, but couldn't tear his eyes off of.

"I'm stepping out for a moment." Rowen told them rather calmly, but neither was fooled by the calm voice he could put out at any moment. He simply brushed past them as he neared one of the doors that lead to the gardens, opening the door and closing it behind him with more force than necessary. He hadn't even noticed Victoria as she watched him leave the room, a torn look in his eyes that reflected the look in hers with perfection.

As he stood there damning his own silence, and the sound of the merriment behind him all at once he stared up at the stars shinning down on him as if in a mocking manner. He cursed all he could think off, save Malfoy. No, he would never curse Malfoy. He would send him into an oblivion, after torturing the foolish boy, and not a moment sooner. Perhaps it was cursing, but the word did not sound as strong as he needed it to.

Rowen leaned over the wooden railing of the patio, his knuckles turning white at his own grip. His breathing was heavy, but all his angry and all his hatred was only the emotions he wanted to feel at the moment, simply to mask the pain and heartbreak he knew would destroy him and would never let him finish the night standing straight.

Just before he thought of simply disappearing, a note had fallen before his eyes. He almost swatted at it, but he refrained himself and plucked it from the air. As he unfolded the small piece of parchment he looked upon the all too familiar handwriting, almost afraid to look where it had come from.

"Second floor, last door of the right," Rowen whispered the note to himself, knowing it was the only way he could comprehend anything. He peered up to see the most beautiful face stained with tears, until she pulled herself back over the balcony.

With no other choice, Rowen entered the Manor again, but made his way to the staircase immediately. Without a single glance back he walked down the right corridor and stopped when he reached the last door. Without a knock, Rowen entered the room to find Victoria sitting on the floor, even in the beautiful dress she wore, tears falling down her cheeks at a pace he never thought a person could cry at.

In an instant, he forgot the betrayal, and the pain, as he rushed towards her, desperate to hold her and wipe away the tears. As he neared her, he bent down and pulled her into his arms, letting her cry as she attached herself to him.

"I'm sorry," She managed to say between sobs. "I tried to warn you, but there wasn't time. I tried. I'm so sorry."

"Shh," Rowen whispered as he held her. He managed to lift her up, despite the heavy dress she wore, and sat down on her nearby bed, still cradling her in his arms.

"Everything is horrible," Victoria sobbed as she tightened her grip on him. "Jocelyn hates me for taking the one she loves, and my father is mad that I don't appreciate all he's done for my future, and all I want is you, and I hated myself when I saw you looking at us."

"We'll leave soon, love." He promised. "Just us. Forever. Me and you. Anywhere you want to go." Rowen promised her the world, hoping with all his heart it was not a dream too big for young lovers.

"Victoria!" Jocelyn's voice yelled from outside the room. Victoria rose to her feet as Rowen moved across the room swiftly to the closet. He watched as she wiped the tears from her eyes before he closed the door, glad he could still see between the small blinds. Victoria turned to him to be sure he was hidden before she waved her arm at the door, allowing it to swing open.

"Father wants you down there, now, dancing with your… betrothed." Jocelyn spoke the word with such hatred that tore at her twin sister as if Jocelyn had been speaking about Victoria. "Not that you deserve him." The blonde muttered beneath her voice as she lifted a necklace from the vanity table near the door.

With a force Rowen had never seen in her before, Victoria reached out with her open hand and ripped her arm back, sending the necklace flying across the room and landing squarely in the palm of her hand. When Victoria peered down, she noticed she'd accidently cut Jocelyn's hand from the force of her magic, but she neither cared nor paid it any more attention than that brief moment.

"You can have him." Victoria spat when Jocelyn looked up at her. "He's oily, and he smells. He has no idea how to treat a woman, so I feel you two deserve each other." She spoke in a voice that held such confidence that Rowen was taken back.

He simply watched from his hiding space as cold shallow eyes stained with loss of love, stared down into the deep sapphire orbs stained with the same pain. The blonde looked far closer to backing away than the dark haired girl, and the suspicion was confirmed when Jocelyn simply ducked out of the door. With a wave of her arm, Victoria shut the door behind her before she turned towards Rowen, who'd emerged from the closet.

"Where did you learn magic like that?" Rowen asked.

"I talked to your father about me mother." She answered. "He told me the truth about her, and when I glanced through that book, I realized I never really tried with my magic. All I did was think about it and suddenly I felt more powerful than anyone."

"You should go back down there in a moment before someone else comes looking for you." Rowen pointed out and Victoria was forced to agree. Just as their lips met, the door was opened once more and the two jumped back, expecting the worse, when all who was there was Evelyn.

"Your presence is being missed." Evelyn said solemnly as she looked to Victoria. "And I thought you should like an alibi as to why you were up here." She added looking to Rowen.

"That's what I need." Rowen replied with sarcasm. "Let's just give them more reason to think we're together."

"Better me than her." Evelyn answered and Rowen only stared at her, forcing himself to accept what she was saying. Naturally he'd known it was better for everyone to believe he'd been up there with Evelyn, but his heart would never accept such an outrageous claim.

"I'll leave first." Victoria volunteered as she looked up at Rowen briefly. She had started to walk away, but he reached out and took hold of her wrist, spinning her back into his arms. After one last kiss, she walked away, her head held higher than he'd ever seen before, and without looking back, the door closed behind her.

"She's… different." Evelyn commented as she looked to Rowen, whom she'd expected to find heartbroken and destroyed. Instead, Rowen seemed as hurt as she was, but not nearly as bad as Evelyn expected.

"She's confident." Rowen put it, still staring at the door shut behind her. "She… You missed her casting spells on her sister, and she's…"

"Is that a good thing?" Evelyn asked tentatively.

"She just became much more attractive, if that were even possible."

**

"Rowen," Godric spoke calmly as he knocked on his son's door before entering his bedroom. He shut the door behind him before he crossed the room to sit at Rowen's desk, facing Rowen as he sat on his bed. Rowen was shirtless, wearing only a pair of red pants to sleep in, and was leaning back against the headboard as he read a rather large book in his lap.

"Yes?" Rowen asked as he shut the book and looked up at his father.

"Are you alright? You disappeared for a while after Victoria and Darius were announced."

"Yeah, just… had to think." He replied, setting the book off to the side, unaware the cover of the restricted book was still in his father's sight.

"I do so hope you manage to put that book away before anyone else notices." His father warned as he glanced at the book, then back up again at his son who simply shrugged.

"Rowena already took it once from Evelyn and I. She said we were going to steal it back anyway, so I thought I wouldn't disappoint her and leave it in her trunk. Besides, it's dusty. I wouldn't want to ruin her clothing." Rowen replied, spinning the story in a way that made his father honestly believe all was well despite his recent run in with cold reality.

"When are you planning to leave?" Godric finally asked, realizing the only reason Rowen would be in such spirits were if he had already planned his great escape with the girl he wanted more than anything else.

"Not sure," Rowen lied easily enough, but he knew for sure his father could tell. He lied for the same reason he'd given Evelyn that same day at Hogwarts. The less everyone knew around them, the farther they would get before Salazar Slytherin noticed the lack of presence of his least favorite child.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" Godric asked, sensing Rowen was not ready to give up any information.

"You'll know the day we leave." Rowen replied simply. "Same as Evelyn."

"That's what I'm concerned about, Rowen. I should like more than a warning that comes after the fact." Godric explained, but to knew it was to a lost cause. Had Rowen already decided that nobody other than himself and Victoria would know about the coming event, then that was exactly how things would function from then on. It seemed only Victoria had the power to sway him, but only because he'd given his heart to her and he was in no state to deny a single thing she wanted.

"I'm sorry," Rowen replied before he lifted the book again and flipped back to the page he'd been reading. "I don't understand why this book is restricted." He changed the subject without looking up at his father again. "There's nothing in here that seems harmful at all."

"The definition of harmful that you have, may be radically diffident that the definition many of the parents of Hogwarts students may have. And in any case, that particular book references pieces of the past are best left forgotten." Godric explained as Rowen turned the page.

"The part about you and Victoria's mother?" Rowen asked, his eyes still scanning the page.

"Salazar claimed it was something that students needed not to know." Godric answered. "He likes to keep Ava's true identity hidden, but mostly from his children, specifically Victoria, the one who make take it far more than Logan and Jocelyn.

"Only because she has no other parent to take to." Rowen pointed out. "Had she not felt out of place her entire life, perhaps she wouldn't be digging for answers as much as she is now."

"Perhaps." Godric agreed. "But perhaps Ava's identity kept secret is best for us all. She would've stirred quite a bit on controversy had she lived long enough to finish her work."

"Don't worry, I'm sure Victoria and I will create more than enough controversy to satisfy even you."

**

Victoria, still clad in the emerald green dress her father had bought specific for the occasion, was making her way through the empty ball room after the last of the guests had left. All who remained were Darius' family and the help whom her father hired to clean after the ball. She was still tugging at the black ribbon on the sides of the corset, but stopped when she spotted her father attempting to call her over to where he stood. With a sigh, she neared him and Darius' parents, smiling a forced smile as perfectly as she could manage.

As she approached them, she couldn't help but notice that Darius' family had the same distinctive musky smell that he had, and she almost chocked on the powerful scent, but managed to cover her displeasure nicely. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jocelyn staring back at her with a mixed look of surprise and dislike.

"Victoria, you looked so lovely tonight," Darius' mother commented as she smiled down at the girl she honestly believed would become her daughter-in-law. As Victoria smiled and replied, looking between the two, she realized the only possible reason her father would have to constitute a marriage between herself and the Malfoy boy, especially after Jocelyn's voiced favor towards him.

With the sweetest smile she could still muster, Victoria continued the conversation with his parents, all while thinking in the back of her mind that her father was simply sabotaging their family's power. She had already know he was not inclined to her favor, and therefore to marry her to Darius Malfoy would otherwise close him off to better matches, while keeping the Malfoy Family's power minimal behind the Slytherin's.

The conversation lasted only a bit longer, and Victoria was given an opportunity to escape the overpowering smell that was strictly Malfoy. She went towards the staircase, passing Jocelyn without so much as acknowledging her presence. Victoria however had noticed when Jocelyn stood and followed her all the way down the corridor where Victoria's bedroom was located. Instead of closeting the door behind her as she entered, Victoria left it wide open so Jocelyn wouldn't violently open it moments later when she stormed in.

"I can't believe you." Jocelyn spat as she watched Victoria wander around her bedroom, grabbing items from different shelves and locations.

"What did I do now, Jocelyn?" Victoria humored her, knowing full well she had by no fault of her own, taken the boy Jocelyn was rather taken with. "All you ever did was stare at me in disbelief the whole night, refused to look at me, and attempt t ruin my dress, and yet here you are ranting and raving in my room as if we were friends in the middle of a spat." Victoria shot back harshly, throwing the items she'd collected onto her bed. She peered up at Jocelyn, whose face was once again in disbelief, probably at the shock of Victoria's new found confidence.

"You changed," Jocelyn replied. "You're not the same anymore."

"I'm sorry." Victoria's voice was harsh as she spat sarcasm at her sister. "Were you growing accustomed to the quiet misfit that was your sister? Well, if you've failed to notice, I'll be married soon and you'll never see me again. Isn't that what you always wanted anyway?" Victoria asked, her voice finally sounding somewhat normal as she walked to her closet and slid the door open. With a wave of her hand, the trunk opened, and all the items from her bed flew across the room, and landed in an organized manner inside the trunk.

"We're not allowed to use magic outside of school." Jocelyn pointed out. Victoria didn't even bother to respond, which had only angered Jocelyn even more. "Besides," Jocelyn continued, her voice portraying her emotions with perfection. Victoria could hear exactly how upset and frazzled her sister was beneath her perfect appearance.

"Yes?" Victoria pretended to care, just for good measure to purposely make her sister upset.

"You're marrying-" Jocelyn stopped and for the first time, Victoria stopped moving about the room and slowly turned back to her twin sister. Victoria couldn't help but notice that once Jocelyn had her full attention she seemed to calm, as if all she ever needed was attention to keep her happy.

"Who?" Victoria pried, even though she knew the answer well enough.

"Darius."

"Well I've noticed that," Victoria snapped back. "But I always figured you knew him as your-"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jocelyn cut Victoria off and Victoria scuffed as she turned away.

"Usually, I'd remark that's because you didn't let me finish, but I know you're just denying that you're actually jealous of me." Victoria replied, knowing very well how deep the wounds would be from the words she inflicted upon her sister.

"I would never be jealous of you." Jocelyn responded, finally taking a few more steps into Victoria's bedroom. Victoria was looking through one of her jewelry boxes, rather preoccupied, but even she could hear the lack of conviction in her sister's voice. "Besides, he doesn't even love you."

"What ever made you believe I was weak enough to require somebody's love?" Victoria replied rather calmly, again taking a bit too much pleasure from the pain her words alone could inflict upon her sister, even if those words were quite contradictory to Victoria's true feelings. Despite what she snapped back at Jocelyn, Victoria knew full well she may not survive any loss of Rowen's love.

"Don't you want to be married to somebody who loves you?" Jocelyn asked, and for the first time in years, Victoria felt as if Jocelyn were simply asking a question to talk to her sister.

"If that's the question you wish to ask, I'd have to ask what ever made you believe I would waste my life married to a horrible smelling Malfoy. You'll have him soon enough if all goes well, so stop your complaining and leave me alone." Victoria revealed a bit too much to her sister, but part of her knew she wouldn't speak a word of it to anyone for fear her true feelings for Darius would be revealed.

The room fell silent, except for the sound of Victoria riffling through her jewelry boxes. Every time she found a piece she wanted to keep, she held it above her shoulder and without her even motioning towards it, the pieces floated across the room and into the open trunk.

"How did you get so powerful?" Jocelyn finally spoke again, and Victoria peered over her shoulder at her sister, stopping her actions momentarily.

"I was never under father's full control, and he never had the chance the control me the way we works every corner of your mind." Victoria replied. "You can leave now." She added bitterly as she raised one hand, pushing Jocelyn out of the room to hit the wall across the hallway from Victoria's door, which shut and locked promptly behind Jocelyn's departure.


	11. Chapter 11

Victoria was seated beside Darius Malfoy as the two ate a formal dinner with the rest of her family. Logan was across from Darius while Jocelyn was across from her sister, leaving Salazar at the head of the table, overlooking the four teens. Once the servants brought the food in, all that could be heard was the sound of utensils starching the plates beneath the food. Occasionally, a conversation would start between Salazar and Darius, but the tension between the feuding sisters was hard to overcome, especially now with Victoria's new found confidence fueling it.

"Victoria," Her father caught her attention, and she slowly turned towards him. Usually he spoke whenever he felt had had something to say, but Victoria noticed the falter in his mannerisms as he stared at the girl who now resembled her mother in more ways than just appearance.

"Yes?" Victoria's voice colder than it had been weeks before, and nobody knew Rowen had been the reason for the change. In fact, it had been the Gryffindors in general who had shown her everything she was capable was. It hadn't made her angry, in the way she was no around her family. The way her father had always held her back, and fed her lies to believe as the truth was what caused the anger.

"Would you like to married between your sixth and seventh year, or wait until after you finish your schooling?" Salazar asked, his voice calmer than it would've been had not seen his late wife's passion smoldering in his daughters eyes.

"Whatever you'd like." Victoria answered before turning back to her food, giving off the very distinct feeling that she either did not care about the wedding because she simply did not care, or that she had no intention of having a wedding. Jocelyn was well aware which was the case, but Victoria had left her father wondering and worried.

"Well don't you have any preference for your own wedding?" Salazar asked.

"Well, since I wasn't given any choice in the matter, it doesn't really feel like mine." Victoria replied, noticing as the room went silent, except for the sound of her own eating. Several minutes passed as Victoria ate in the silent room until slowly she heard Darius start for his own fork at the same time as Logan had. Jocelyn was next, leaving only their father staring blankly at the perfect recreation of the late wife he'd been glad to be rid of.

"I think we should finish at Hogwarts first," Darius had dared to break the silence, though Victoria seemed to appear as if nothing had happened around her.

"Perhaps we should have the wedding now, before school resumes." Salazar suggested, only watching for her reaction. Unfortunately he received none. Victoria continued one with what she was doing, while Jocelyn wondered if her sister's plan was to be carried out much sooner than she originally thought.

"Don't be ridiculous, father." Victoria spoke, belatedly, but actually turned to face Salazar straight in the eyes. "You don't have the kind of time to put together an entire wedding within such a short time frame."

"Surely you'll provide the help I need."

"Nonsense." Victoria replied quickly, again causing the unbearable tension across the table. "As I said before, this is hardly my wedding if my feelings weren't considered at all."

"You're my daughter." Salazar spoke forcefully in a desperate attempt to scare her back into the place she'd had before. "You will obey the commands I give you, and follow the future I have worked hard to set up for you."

"It's hardly for me, which only proves my point." Victoria replied as she rose to her feet without even being excused.

"I will not have your clear disrespect and offensive manners here," Salazar's voice boomed as he rose to his feet as well. Victoria turned back sharply, the necklace around her neck flying from her chest in the air until it fell back down on the outside of her shirt.

"What will you do?" Victoria challenged. "Strike at me as you find fit?"

"Where did you get that?" He asked as he looked down at the ruby hanging from her lips.

"Why? Remind you of somebody you forgot to mention throughout our childhood?" Victoria snapped at him, her eyes still locked on the shallow blue ones that attempted to challenge her.

"Who gave it to you!"

"If you're so smart, and deserving of your place at Hogwarts, shouldn't you already know?" Victoria replied. "Or was it the hard work, and death of another who put you there?"

"You cannot-"

"I can do what I'd like." Victoria replied before he could finish, then turned and swiftly exited the room, leaving two siblings, a betrothed, and a father absolutely stunned by the new confident Victoria whom nobody could push any longer.

**

On the first day back from the winter holiday, Rowen was walking through the corridors of the castle, not really paying much attention to anything around him, but had Victoria walked past him, he would've noticed. Though he'd been attending his classes, all day, he had yet to arrive to one on time with his books. Most of his professors were irritated, but Rowena and his father were very forgiving for the otherwise punishable action.

He was simply walking down the corridor, passing his friends as he went, but he finally stopped when he spotted Victoria at her usual place beside the lake, which knew all their secrets. He neared her and took his place beside her, watching her as she turned to smile brightly at him.

"You look absolutely beautiful, especially with that necklace." He told her as he peered down at the necklace she wore around her neck, which he had sent to her for her birthday.

"Why thank you," She replied, playing with the small emerald pendant which she had placed on the same chain as her mother's necklace.

"I thought it would add the perfect twist to your mothers."

"Indeed, it did." She agreed, smiling at him as if her pending wedding was not in the back of their minds. She noticed when he moved even a fraction closer to her, even if he had done it subconsciously as they turned to look out at the lake, their favorite place to be, second only to the haven that once only belonged to him.

"So… does anybody know?" Victoria asked softly, still looking out at the lake.

"Evelyn, and my father. And one of them probably told Rowena. They spent the entire holiday with us, though I suppose they'd changed their plans once Evelyn and I caught them in my father's office."

Victoria laughed, turning to look at him. "Evelyn wrote to me telling of that." Rowen laughed along with her. "I think it's sweet."

"I just couldn't believe they'd actually thought we wouldn't have approved or something," Rowen replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "But in an case, they're more or less together."

"I hinted at it to Jocelyn when she wouldn't stop pestering me about stealing her boy." Victoria admitted, expecting Rowen to be upset that she had told somebody so untrustworthy. Surprising her, however, he didn't respond to it as if he hadn't cared in the slightest. "Is that ok?" She finally asked, unsure of what to say.

"Well, I'd preferred nobody to know, but it doesn't matter anyway." Rowen replied looked over at her with eyes that failed to conceal his love for her. "From the fast spreading rumors I've caught today alone, you've been rather openly upset towards your father."

Victoria sighed as she turned to the lake nodding. "Yes, however upset doesn't quite explain it as accurately as anybody would like. He got especially upset when he saw my mother's necklace, but once I brought it up, he hasn't so much as looked at me."

"My father said he's terrified. He's been picking fights all day about whether or not to allow muggle borns into Hogwarts, when usually they'd leave such subjects until meetings with the full staff."

"He'll leave Hogwarts in a rage when he discovers the truth." Victoria said and Rowen nodded in agreement.

"But that's not something for us to be concerned about."

"How can it not when we'll be the ones to cause it?"

"Because, Riah," Rowen started to answer, only to find himself without an answer. With a deep breath, he continued. "Because they broke all the rules, and all the traditions to make Hogwarts, the one thing all four of them wanted."

"And we'll break all the rules to destroy it?" Victoria replied with a grim laugh at the irony.

"Not to destroy it, Riah. It'll survive just fine. Perhaps not without the momentary wrath of your father, but survive nonetheless. But he shouldn't be in the back of minds, Riah. This is for us."

"And what about everyone else?"

"Well, once your father leaves, the school will be altered but at least Muggle-borns will be able to attend without scorn."

Victoria took in a deep breath as she nodded softly, peering out at the clear waters of the cold lake. "Perhaps, Rowen."

**

It was dinner in the Great Hall, and the room was echoing with noise as all the students talked eagerly to their friends after the holiday. Nearly all four tables were full of food and students, and it seemed only a few students were missing from diner. Rowen, while present for dinner, was standing behind Evelyn at the Ravenclaw table, a potions book he'd taken from the restricted section open before them on the table.

"And I buy these, right?" He asked, pointing to one of the ingredients on the list.

"They're very expensive, but yes." Evelyn answered, bending her neck to look up at her brother who was completely focused on the book. "What do you even need this for?"

"I can't tell you that." Rowen replied with a slight laugh as he peered down at her momentarily, then focused on the book once more. He had started to ask another question when he'd been interrupted.

"Gryffindor!" A male's voice called out, quieting a portion of the Great Hall as he did so. Rowen sighed before looking up, knowing it had to be something that could only waste his time. As he finally stood up straight and turned to see the Malfoy boy staring at him, a wand in his hand, Rowen's suspicions were confirmed. Rowen only stared at him before he shook his head, rolled his eyes, and turned back to Evelyn.

"I saw you with Victoria!" He yelled again, this time drawing the attention of the full Hall, as it slowly dimmed to a silence except for usual eating noises.

"Put your wand away before you poke yourself in the eye." Rowen told him strongly as he watched the Malfoy boy's hand start to shake. Rowen then looked back down to Evelyn. "So to find this one, I have to go where?"

"Just go north until you reach-"

"Hey!"

"She's talking," Rowen snapped peering up at the boy holding his wand out unsteadily. "And she is in fact a woman, so you should be just slightly more respectful, and not just to her, because you've failed to notice you're interrupting an entire Hall's dinner. So take all of your problems and sit down with them. And you better put your wand away before you lose it." Rowen snapped before looking down at Evelyn again, shaking his head in complete annoyance at his persistence. "North until when?"

"If you reach the end of the forest you've gone too far, but it'll be along the edge. Maybe a few meters into the forest." Evelyn explained, as if the two had been interrupted at all, and that the entire Great Hall wasn't listening to their conversation about finding ingredients for a potion banned in Hogwarts.

Rowen had almost believed the Malfoy boy had given up, but he soon felt an all too familiar feeling of a spell hitting him square in the side, and even brushing against Evelyn's back. Evelyn groaned in pain as Rowen looked up at the boy who was now trembling even more.

"She is my betrothed and you are to stay clear of her." Malfoy attempted to threaten Rowen but he only stared at the boy with pity.

"DO you hear yourself at all?" Rowen's voice grew to a volume few had ever heard. "If she yours then scurry on over there, and leave everybody alone, because you are just annoying. The only reason why you would be as insecure with yourself as you are is if she doesn't want you, which I can't blame her for since you can't even hold your wand straight. So when you've accomplished that, come back."

Rowen took a step towards Evelyn and with a hand over her shoulder, he healed the small wound without his wand, and even repaired her robes. She had casted the same spell, but with her wand, on his side before he started to bleed onto the floor.

"I said stay away from Victoria!" He yelled again, shooting a second spell that hit Rowen squarely in the chest. Rowen had hardly heard the warning his father sent him when he raised his arm and Malfoy was lifted at least twenty meters into the air. With a movement of Rowen's other wrist, the boy's wand flew swiftly across the room and into Rowen's hand where he easily snapped the wand into two useless sticks.

The Great Hall had gone completely silent as one of the most powerful wizards in the castle lifted a much less powerful boy into the air, and with one flick of his unforgiving wrist, sent the boy straight into the solid stone wall. The wall was instantly covered in blood and even crumbled out when Rowen threw his arm in the other direction and the boy experienced the same thing on the other side of the Great Hall so the other two tables could see as well.

"Rowen!" Godric's voice thundered and finally broke through his son's stubborn head. "Stop, now!"

"Fine." Rowen agreed as he dropped his hand to his side and the boy fell the distance to the floor, hitting the ground with a loud echo. Rowen hadn't so much as flinched when he heard the sound, nor had he bothered to look back at his angered father. Without another word, Rowen walked back towards Evelyn, gathered the book, set a kiss on her cheek, and exited the Great Hall through the main entrance.

**

"Were you possessed!" Godric's voice thundered, echoing throughout the Headmasters' office as a very calm and collected Rowen sat before him. "You couldn't just send him out the door? You had to bash his entire body into two stone walls? You could've just sent him half way across the world? You could've sent him to the center of the lake!" Godric had been yelling so loudly, he hadn't heard the three other headmasters enter the office.

"You would've been just as mad no matter what I did to the prick. The point is he feels he needs to protect her from me, as if he actually stands the smallest chance! I mean, he honestly believes she likes him. It's not as if I could've ruined his thinking process. It can only get better if he's that deluded!"

"Rowen!" Godric yelled once more just for good measure, before he noticed the company behind his son. "You have no idea, how much trouble you've cause. His parents are on their way here."

"Then kick me out of Hogwarts." Rowen replied with a smile on his face. Under any other circumstance, Godric would've laughed at the irony Rowen managed to put in.

"We might have to, Rowen." Rowena spoke with such a soft voice, Rowen had hardly heard her after his father's booming. "To protect the image of the school. You've broken nearly every bone in his body."

"You say these things as if they don't just grow back anyway. So he bled a little. It was bound to happen eventually in his life. Did you somehow miss the way you taught him to hold a wand?"

"The wand the snapped in two?" Godric asked, and Rowen held back a laugh when the smile was impossible to stop.

"Ok, I shouldn't have snapped the wand, but it's not like he could hold it anyway. Once his skull grows back in, I'll go down there myself and buy him a new wand, if that's what you want."

"You act like this means nothing." Godric groaned as Rowena forced him to sit down before he broke something.

"I don't care. He makes me mad. He pesters around places he shouldn't be. He thinks things are true when they aren't. He's a total lost cause. I can't believe you brought him here. Isn't Hogwarts for the most promising?"

"Yes, the most promising witches and wizards. Not for cell block 20 in Azakaban." Godric bellowed once more at his resisting son, who still remained calm.

"Just kick me out. Keep your Hogwarts perfect image, and remove me. I won't be here long either way." Rowen replied, looking towards Rowena.

"Removal from the school requires all Headmasters to agree as well as at least half the staff." Rowena explained.

"Well if you need it I can break the rest of his bones for good measure."

"GO to your room and sit there. No reading restricted books, no sending letters no company. Nothing. Just sit there." Godric told him strongly.

"I don't have any restricted books."

"Not anymore you don't." Godric snapped back as Rowen rose to his feet. "You're removal will be done by the morning, so you might as well pack."

"Before or after I sit and do nothing?" Rowen asked and only received a glare from his father.

"Rowen Gryffindor." Rowena spoke his name in a way that made him turn and leave the office without another word.


	12. Chapter 12

Rowen was already in his dormitory, as his father had dictated for him to do so, when he heard a light tapping on the window. Thankfully, his roommates were still at the dinner he made quite a show out of, so he was alone when he went to let Victoria in. He stepped to the side after he swung the window open, and held his hand out to her. She placed her hand in his, and stepped into the room, putting her foot on the ledge as she slowly entered.

After she jumped down from the window ledge, Rowen took his broom from her and set it on his bed as she wrapped her arms around his body. After putting a soft kiss on her forehead, he moved to his chest, opening it with a flick of his wrist, only to find most of her things neatly packed beside his own.

"You didn't have to send him into two walls." Victoria finally spoke as she sat on one of his roommate's trunks across the room. Rowen didn't respond, though he had glanced over at her before turning back to his chest. When he didn't respond, she continued. "Though it was a bit of a show, I'll admit. I suppose he expected me to accompany him to the hospital wing."

"With how deluded he is, I wouldn't doubt that." Rowen replied as he finished locking his trunk. "And my father tried to explain to me that something like that would never have happened to him, despite how horribly he holds a wand, and his need to protect things that don't belong to him."

"Namely me?" Victoria replied.

"Namely, your love." He responded as he tapped the trunk with his wand and watched as he shrunk to the perfect size to escape with. After lifting the tiny trunk and slipping it into his pocket, he pulled a piece of parchment from one of his roommate's trunk and start to scribble words with a quill he'd found inside the trunk as well.

Love you all. Not sure when we'll be back. Don't wait for us.

Rowe and Riah

"You're just going to leave a note?" Victoria asked and Rowen glanced back at her once more.

"Should I run down to the Great Hall and announce it?" Rowen replied, before he turned back to the parchment, which he folded up and left on his bed. "If we're lucky, Rowena, Evelyn, or my father will beat my roommates here and be the first to find it."

"And if we're not?"

"Something tells me two of the greatest witches and wizards of the age will be clever enough to figure it out." Rowen replied, then after a moment of silence, peered over his shoulder to see an upset Victoria, even in the slightest. He sighed before turned back to her completely and pulled her up into his arms, a gesture she wholeheartedly accepted.

"I'm sorry my love." He whispered in her ear as he put soft kisses around her cheek. "I'm just frustrated. I tried to explain to my father, but he wouldn't pay close enough attention, and then before I could even tell him that we're leaving your father walks in, and I didn't want to leave like this."

"That's the way I have to leave no matter what."

"I know," He replied, still holding her close. He shut his eyes and put a kiss to the top of her head, before he rested his face against her hair. "All will be well, in the end, love."

"Your father was right." Victoria mumbled against his chest.

"He often is."

"He was afraid." Victoria continued as if he hadn't replied at all. "My father was completely afraid of me when I stood up to him. He kept asking me about the wedding, and I just told him my honest opinion. I mentioned my mother, and how he was chosen to be a part of Hogwarts, and he just froze. He stared at me as if he were looking at ghost haunting him."

The room went silent for a moment as she pulled back to look up at Rowen, who peered down at her with caring eyes. "He was glad to be rid of her. He benefited from her death. He never cared at about her at all."

"I know, my love." Rowen whispered as he put a comforting kiss on her forehead. "We'll be rid of him soon enough." He told her before they broke apart. Rowen turned back to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, while Victoria lifted a hand to call the broom from the bed. Holding the broom securely in hand, she moved towards the open window and mounted the broom. She hovered for a moment before she flew out of the window, then hovered just outside as she waited for Rowen to climb on behind her.

As he filled the space behind her, he wrapped his arms around her small frame and took control of the broom, letting her simply relax against his body. It took only a few moments before they reached the edge of Hogwarts grounds.

"Ready?" Rowen whispered in her ear and she nodded softly in response. He lifted one hand from the broom stick to draw his wand from the inside pocket of his robe, as she did the same. All the time he'd recently spent in the Restricted section of the library had done him well for he'd formulated the perfect combination of spells to use so the two could escape Hogwarts without setting off any alarm.

Victoria casted her spell first, and Rowen waited, watching a small opening was created in the protection charm casted around the entire school grounds. Once it was big enough for the two to leave through, he casted his spell and the opening was frozen long enough for the two to dash through, leaving Hogwarts behind them, both full aware of the damage to the school they were causing.

**

"We still need a name, love." Victoria said softly as she looked down at the baby boy in her arms. Rowen was moving about the room as he picked up blood stained pieces of cloth and finished wiping down the dirty surfaces in the room. They were momentarily alone in the room while the medi-witch had left to inform their family of a safe delivery of a perfect baby boy.

"We'll think of something." Rowen assured as he finally came to his wife's side. He peered down at the boy with a black mop for hair and brilliant blue eyes, resembling his mother. "Don't worry."

"Mr. Potter?" The medi-witch appeared in the door way, and Rowen looked up, responding to the new name he and Victoria had agreed to use three years prior to insure their identities were kept secret. "Is there anything else you should need?"

"No. We won't need your assistance anymore. Thank you." He responded, turning back down to his son and wife. The medi-witch nodded and escaped the room, closing the door behind her.

"We should name him something that'll be carried on through the family." Victoria commented. "Something strong, something brave."

"Something fits a Gryffindor and Slytherin all tied up in one?" Rowen asked and Victoria looked up at him, with playfully narrowed eyes.

"Mr. Potter, I'm afraid I haven't a clue what you're referring to." She told him and Rowen narrowed his eyes back at her, until he kissed her lips, when he let his eyes drift shut.

"Mrs. Potter, I think you have some faint idea."

"Perhaps Gryffindor and Potter, for I am not a Slytherin in any way." Victoria replied.

"You were sorted into Slytherin." Rowen answered, though he was looking down at the sleeping child in his wife's arms. "Perhaps Potters are Slytherins, just without the specific name. You have been known to always get your way."

"We still need a name," Victoria changed the subject when she felt Rowen had proved her wrong, but she didn't want to admit the loss. "Something that will always be carried on."

"Thomas."

"No."

"Alexander."

"No," Victoria sighed, as if the two suggested names had worn her out completely. For a moment, the new parents stared down at the perfect child in silence as each of them thought hard for a perfect name.

"Harold." Rowen finally said, looking to Victoria who stared down at her son.

"Harold Rowen Potter." Victoria said the name aloud with a smile on her face. "Little Harry Potter?" She asked the sleeping child with a widening smile. "Perfect Gryffindor Harry Potter?"

"Or Slytherin." Rowen mumbled earning only a smack from his wife in the stomach.

"Or maybe we'll just let your aunt Evelyn teach you, and we'll get luck and you'll be in Ravenclaw." Victoria suggested with a grin though Rowen rolled his eyes at the idea.

"Don't be ridiculous, love. You can't force intelligence on a person. He'll only be stronger than us, probably combined, but he won't inherit intelligence that neither of us has."

"It's only wishful thinking for what's best for him." Victoria replied, as she started to rock him back and forth in her loving arms. "Gryffindors and Slytherins are forever entwined in the rift we created."

"Not to worry, love." Rowen told her. "He'll be strong enough to protect himself, no matter the house he's in."

"I'm only afraid for him, Rowen. I should hate myself if the rifts we caused affect him. Our difficulties should only be ours. What if it falls upon him as well?"

"That's something out of our control, love, and that was precisely why we took the name of your mother. It's not around anymore, except us, and nobody would suspect it were us, either. We're not Victoria Slytherin and Rowen Gryffindor anymore. We're the Potters."

"Darius Malfoy will never forgive us."

"Since when did we ever require that from the Malfoy?" Rowen replied.

"He knows who we are, Rowen. He has a son, now. Our Harry and his Draco shall be in the same year. Malfoys and Potters will never get along. He's probably teaching the boy that we're against him."

"Stop worrying, love. Malfoy can do what he wants. For the rest of his life he'll be the one who flew into two stone walls for no other reason that his stupidity. I'm afraid his perfect little Draco shall have to accept his inherited idiocy." Rowen replied as he looked down at the boy again.

"We cause so much, Rowen, and for our own love." Victoria told him. "My father left Hogwarts, blamed your father for the Muggle born witches and wizards at the school, and now Slytherins loathe Gryffindors. My family knows who we are and so do the Malfoys. No Malfoy child will ever accept a Potter. And all because we loved each other."

"Victoria," Rowen spoke her full name, and she felt as if it was first time in years that he had done so. "Look down at our son. Our perfect little Harry Potter, and tell me that everything you just said wasn't worth it for this." Rowen challenged, and watched as she silently peered down at the boy, then back up at him.

"Everything was worth it for this, Rowen, but nothing will take back what we've done."

"Then I'm afraid we'll forever have the love that started it all."


End file.
